Trains.com

Light Rail and the Classsic Interurban Trolley

9583 views
68 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • 964 posts
Posted by gardendance on Saturday, January 31, 2015 10:32 PM

Please research your comments better. Where do you get your information that any union other than the United Transport Workers represents SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line employees?

Patrick Boylan

Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message

  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 1,644 posts
Posted by Wizlish on Sunday, February 1, 2015 10:34 AM

gardendance

Please research your comments better. Where do you get your information that any union other than the United Transport Workers represents SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line employees?

I 'second' this request.  To my knowledge the ATU doesn't even have a local in the Philadelphia area. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Sunday, February 1, 2015 12:19 PM

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) local 234 represents workers in the City, Suburban and Frontier divisions. But another union, the United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 1594, represents bus, trolley and rail operators in SEPTA’s Victory division. This division operates the Norristown High Speed Line, Media/Sharon Hill trolleys and buses in parts of Montgomery and Delaware counties out of the 69th Street Transportation Center.  Other unions, such as BLE represent engineers on heavy rail commuter lines.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 294 posts
Posted by trackrat888 on Sunday, February 1, 2015 1:46 PM

What i ment to say is that there are unions that represent Bus,Subway and Trolleycar Light Rail and there are unions that Rep Class 1,2 and 3 railroads and neigther shal the two meet as one is covered by railroad retirement and the other is not

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • 964 posts
Posted by gardendance on Monday, February 2, 2015 6:34 AM

Again I ask that you give documentation to support your statements. Or at least don't mix up cause and effect. What evidence do you have to support your contention that separate unions represent transit vs railroad workers because of the Railroad Retirment Board?

I'd be amazed to find out that there's any legislated requirement that says they must be separate unions.

Patrick Boylan

Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Monday, February 2, 2015 11:41 AM

I agree.   There is no legal requirement for one or another union to represent any railroad or transit property.   Most of the differences can be explained by history, who unionized and when.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 7:28 AM

As far as I know, the only legal requirement in the Railway Labor Act regarding union representation is that representation is to be along craft lines.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 294 posts
Posted by trackrat888 on Friday, February 6, 2015 12:55 AM

Railroad Workers are covered by Railroad Retirement Board and Transit Personel are not. SEPTA and David Gunn lerned the hard way by trying to convert the Fox Chase Line into a line operated by Transit instead of railroad workers. The mecanical department then refused to fix the RDCs unless they were opperated by railroad unions and Conrail Employees and the service died when all the RDC units failed either on the own or with some "Help" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Chase_Rapid_Transit_Line

  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 1,097 posts
Posted by Buslist on Friday, February 6, 2015 10:16 AM

trackrat888

Railroad Workers are covered by Railroad Retirement Board and Transit Personel are not. SEPTA and David Gunn lerned the hard way by trying to convert the Fox Chase Line into a line operated by Transit instead of railroad workers. The mecanical department then refused to fix the RDCs unless they were opperated by railroad unions and Conrail Employees and the service died when all the RDC units failed either on the own or with some "Help" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Chase_Rapid_Transit_Line

 

But then you have the case of Tri Rail. Clearly a commuter railroad. When it was operated by Herzog their employees did not pay into Railroad Retirement. This fact was frustrating to Amtrak as at that time they were still in operating commuter systems under contract. But without Railroad Retirement expenses Herzog under bid them. Not sure about the current situation with Veola as tbe contractor.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy