Archives for March 2018

In an effort to better communicate information as quickly as possible to the Local 60 Membership, here is the ” HOT TOPICS” for this week.

A) Gas mileage payments are rapidly increasing due to getting extra hours for the clerks, in fact the last two weekends the clerks worked overtime exclusively on our backlog. The gas mile sheets are now about 5 weeks behind instead of 16 weeks.

B) Next week I have a meeting with The Carrier concerning Sleep Apnea and the adverse effect it is having on our Membership.

C) Next week there will be a team of Members on the property explaining the proper way to cut out coach doors when they become defective. We have had an increase in delays due to malfunctioning doors.

D) I attended a public forum last night in Hackensack NJ. The forum concerned Senate Bill No. 630. I gave testimony about how the NJ Residency Law affects our Members. Senator Gordon who is the author of the Bill 630 along with Senator Weinberg were in attendance to hear all of the testimony. If passed into law it would give an exception to NJ Transit employees from being forced to live in the state.

E) I will continue to take advantage of any opportunity to speak with our elected officials about issues that affect our Members. I have spoken to Governor Murphy, Senators, Congressional Members, Assembly Members, NJ DOT commissioner, Local Mayors. The elected officials welcome the insight I provide them on Member’s issues, because we all want a better NJ Transit. The contacts and relationships I have made so far as your General Chairman will only further elevate our craft in the future.

Please email me feedback or suggestions, I am here for you the Members. sburkert@utulocal60.com

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Burkert

General Chairman

ATTENTION ALL T & E CREWS

Assured Environments will perform a follow up treatment in Trainmen’s Lounge on Saturday, March 31, 2018

The Trainmen’s Lounge WILL BE CLOSED AND LOCKED ALL DAY SATURDAY  to facilitate the extermination and will re-open on Sunday, April 1, 2018

No personal items should be left in the area when you leave.

Sheldon L. Booker

Assistant Superintendent

New York Penn Station

All proceeds will be given to Convenant House

$5 for kids and $10 for adults at the door only

Organized by Brother Elijha Ingram

In an effort to better communicate information as quickly as possible to the Local 60 Membership, here is the ” HOT TOPICS” for this week.

A) All Members are to report to their normal sign up locations at their required time on Wednesday. If a Member is ordered to do otherwise by the crew callers please email me with details at sburkert@utulocal60.com If you are on your relief day and want to work on Wednesday please let the crew callers know asap.

B) Gas mileage verification has improved dramatically after the Carrier, TCU GC Stevens and myself worked out an aggressive “catch up plan.” Verification Department this past week has verified gas slips that were submitted in middle of January. This cuts the backlog in half from where it was 3 weeks ago. We are now waiting on those checks to be mailed out from Accounts Payable department this week.

C) Ron Sabol State Director SMART TD has been very productive in using your PAC contributions wisely. He has provided a letter from Congressman Gottheimer requesting more money for the National Mediation Board. The NMB is the government agency to provide an arbitrator to hear cases about all of the claims I have filed on your behalf. If any Member needs a PAC form mailed to them please email me at sburkert@utulocal60.com

D) Senator Bob Gordon as quoted today…”Secondly and very importantly I hope a message goes out to the thousands of employees of NJ Transit who have been weathering very difficult conditions over the last eight years, they are going to have to be the foundation in which we rebuild this organization, they are a superlative group of people, to “hang in there help is on the way””

Please email me feedback or suggestions, I am here for you the Members. sburkert@utulocal60.com

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Burkert

General Chairman

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In an effort to better communicate information as quickly as possible to the Local 60 Membership, here is the ” HOT TOPICS” for this week.

A) John Lineman is hospitalized at this time with a serious medical matter. If any Member wants to send a card here is the address. John Lineman – Kingsbrook Medical Center- 585 Schenectady Avenue Winthrop, Brooklyn, NY 11203. Room #202

B) I was invited to speak with our new Executive Director Kevin Corbett on Monday March 12th. I discussed  Sleep Apnea and how the NJT program has been so detrimental to our Members and how it can be done more efficiently. I explained about crew shortages and how unsafe overcrowding has become the norm. We will be speaking again in the upcoming weeks.

C) I attended the NJ Transit Board of Director’s Meeting on Wednesday March 14th. Governor Murphy attended and spoke about dramatically improved funding of NJT. Our new DOT Commissioner Dianne Gutierrez Scaccetti praised our Members. Kevin Corbett spoke about a new direction and more hiring of Conductors. All three praised Local 60 Members for their efforts over victory parades and snow storms.

D) There is an issue concerning FELA and what are NJ Transit’s intentions going forward. This issue has been known to me since the end of January. I have been working with the Carrier,our DLC Matt Darby and SMART TD to better educate the Attorney General about the ramifications this move would have on our Members. We are covered under the RAILWAY LABOR ACT and NJT was told directly by myself and Ron Sabol  NJSLB that we would consider this a MAJOR DISPUTE if they continue this course. I will keep you informed as we progress.

E) NJT had a payroll issue this week with deductions, please read the notice that is posted on this site.

F) The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade is tomorrow. If any Member wants to work their relief day please contact the crew caller today. NJT will be running extra trains from Dover, Long Branch, Morrisville and Port Jervis. they will also have extra ticket collectors out on all regular and extra trains.

Please email me feedback or suggestions, I am here for you the Members. sburkert@utulocal60.com

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Burkert

General Chairman

Please be advised that the NJ Transit New York Penn Station Trainmen’s Lounge will be closed tomorrow for extermination. The room will be cleaned prior to reopening on Sunday morning.

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Our Brother and co-worker is in need of some help

https://www.gofundme.com/qagw6x-johns-long-road-to-recovery

“My brother John is presently going through a health crisis. He has a long and complicated health history which took a turn for the worst in Oct. 2017. Let me give you a little bit of his background, he was diagnosed with diabetes in his teens and approx. 18 years ago he mysteriously developed a blood clot that traveled to his Spinal cord leaving him completely paralyzed from the upper chest down and told he would be in a wheelchair. With GOD and our dearly departed mother’s spirit by his side, he worked hard at his recovery for 3 years and miraculously walked away from his customized wheelchair and back to work as a conductor.
He has been on dialysis a little over 6 years and anxiously awaiting a kidney transplant, yet again thrown another curve ball last year when he developed a callous on his left heel. Even though he was under a great doctors care, the wound got progressively worse resulting in a fever and 2 serious infections. He was admitted to the hospital and after a series of tests (including a bone biopsy) found that the infection had spread to his heel bone. He was treated with aggressive antibiotics and thankfully the infection did not spread and the antibiotics began to work.
In the mean time, he found that the leg was not getting good blood flow and surgery was done to help correct that and didn’t. It was then discussed and tentatively scheduled for a below the knee amputation but by the good grace of GOD the doctors were surprised that the blood flow was better than expected and decided to put the amputation on the back burner. The plan to save the leg is to do daily hyperbaric treatment, aggressive wound care, physical therapy and of course continued dialysis. Once the infection was gone he was looking forward to going home and preparing to continue his recovery and yet again more bad news. Horizon Blue Cross cut off his insurance with no advance notice telling him to apply for Medicare.
The hospital discharged him with a fever and another infection which newly developed sending him home with nothing in place, no home care, no assistance in getting him to his most important treatments, no wheelchair, no shower bench, nothing! With this being said, my brother is in need of not only your prayers but also some financial assistance. It seems he may need to purchase a customized wheelchair (not just a regular one) for his special needs along with a shower bench and some help with his day to day bills until he applies and gets approved for disability and Medicare ( his phone appointment is in 2 weeks). Any and all donations would be greatly appreciated allowing him to focus on his healing and not stress so much on finances. Thank you in advance for your kindness, compassion and contribution. May GOD Bless you!”

NJ Transit will be running regular train service tomorrow. All crews are to report to their normal terminal at their required sign up times. Any Member on a relief day for tomorrow, if you wish to work, please contact crew caller asap and make yourself available. Please be safe travelling and during your assignments.

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Burkert

General Chairman

I am in regular communication with NJ Transit over storm damage. There will be a meeting later today for an update on what rail service will be up and running tomorrow. Work crews are out on all lines clearing debris and getting the rails and catenary in shape for safe travel. The new Executive Director, Kevin Corbett, asked me to personally thank all of the Local 60 Members who are working today moving passengers or working in the yards. I will send out more information as it becomes available.

Please be safe in your travels going to work or home.

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Burkert

General Chairman