Christmas & New Year

It has again reached the end of the year, good & bad things have happened. The year 2007 brought a new Committeeman for the members at Corbin, the old one just wasn't doing the job, so you voted to have him removed and a new put in his place. We got new personnel hired as apprentices, several old members retired, yet we lost some due to illness, and injury. We have a new contract though we didn't like it and voted against it, we have it anyway wheather we like it or not. We got a little back-pay even though it seems to be not what we expected. But all in all I believe Corbin has come out on top, 14 apprentices now in the training program, and after the first of the year the promise of more apprentices to be hired, with at least 10 men who are due to retire or going on account of disability, the company needs to get these men on the ground training quickly. Now as the new year approaches I have been told to retire on disability by my doctor, so I asked many of the new people if one of them would be interested in the Job as Committteeman, and only one has stated they would take it, so I have recommended that person to the Local Protective Board in Erwin, TN. Local #6477, and I am in hopes that all of you will back this person up. I recommended Rebecca Gardner to replace me upon my leaving due to the injury I received June 6th 2006.

So this maybe the only time I will have to wish all of you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. May God bless each and everyone of you.

Time is passing

2008 is quickly approaching, and we have no one to take my place, I need someone to step up and take the Job of Local Protective Board COMMITTEEMAN. If not the former Committeeman will take over and I don't know what will happen to this local if he does.
I in all probability will go out of service in early January 2008, if you are going to step up now is the time. I have several thing which I can download to a travel stick so you can load it onto your own computer, these items are templets which are shell time claims & grievances. All of these will help anyone who takes over in my stead, to get their feet on the ground quickly.
Contact me if you are able to and wish to take the helm.

We the Members . . . .

We, as members of the Brotherhood Railway Carmen, have an obligation to be involved in the Union, to attend meeting unless otherwise unable due to the fact that we are working. We are to file all violations of the Agreement set forth by the Union and Carrier, if you have a grievance or a claim you must submit your information to your Local Protective Board in writing, so as the "Board" can submit it to the carrier, or the parties in violation of said Agreement.

Your write description of the claim will help your LPB to submit and file said claim or grievance.

Do this, keep a copy of your claims with your Local Chairman's signature on it showing the date he received said claim. and you will always have proof you submitted it.

You'll be glad you did!

ANSWERS? ? ?

I have requested the formula which payroll in Jacksonville, FL (CSX), so we can try and figure how they got the figures. So we can see if they match, if anyone has another idea let me know

QUESTIONS, Questions, questions

There are more questions than we get answers, Brother Carmen ask your LC, GC, IR why, keep asking until you get all the answers! Too long we have leaned back on our backsides and not questioned the authorities, now is time for all CARMEN to rise up and demand answers.
If they can prove us wrong, fine, but if they refuse to answer question his authority, and move on to the higher authorities.

It's our money, and if the carrier/our leadership, don't answer as to the why to our questions, keep looking turn over rocks to get them.

Back-pay deductions, it don't work out

My CSX pay-stubs revealed the following, and I would dare to say your's most likely is the same.

$1662.50 was what the carrier said we owed, but my checks say the got too much, $1876.35 as of 11/23/07 that's $213.85 too much

12/30-1/12 137.95

1/13-1/26 137.95

1/27-2/09 137.95
_____________________

$451.80

2/10-2/23 000.00

2/24-3/09 137.95

3/10-3/23 000.00

3/24-4/06 137.95

4/07-4/20 000.00

4/21-5/04 137.95
___________________

$451.80 X 2= $903.60

5/05-5/18 000.00

5/19-6/01 000.00

6/02-6/15 137.95

6/16-6/29 000.00

6/30-7/13 147.73

7/14-7/27 000.00

7/28-8/10 147.73

8/11-8/24 000.00

8/25-9/07 147.73
__________________

$581.14+$903.60=$1484.74

9/08-9/21 000.00

9/22-10/5 166.25

$166.25+$1484.74=$1650.99

+ $225.36
________

$1876.35 as of the 11/23/07 pay-check

Yet, the pay-stub states $1662.50 as per the11/23/07 pay-stub

A difference of $213.85

1$225.35

-47.60

$177.75

2/2-12/15 $123.28

1216-12/29 $000.00 Total for 2006 is 2444.80

11/3-11/16 $166.25 pay-stub shows a Total of $1828.75

Back Pay

The CSX paid the back pay due it's men this past week, and each man was hit for almost 50% of the amount due plus $225.36 for Health & Welfare. We have Apprentices at Corbin 13 to be exact and even though they haven't work near the time the Journeymen have between contracts, the Apprentices received as much or more than several of our Journeymen.

The Members at Corbin are still trying to figure out why we got a contract that all of Corbin's members Voted against, much less trying to figure the new Math the Carrier used in paying the Back Pay.

I have been wanting to do this, so I guess I'll just sick my neck out and do it!

I would like all BRC members in the U.S. to write in this Blog telling myself and the members of this Union, how they and their friends voted on this (new) Contract, I have a feeling that most of the voting members Voted against it! If I am right, which I feel I am the leadership must have taken all the no-VOTES (ballots not mailed in) and turned them into YES's.

I hope not but I would like to know just how my brothers other than Corbin voted.