October 24, 2007
Attention, all UTU officers in Illinois: You have a one-time chance to update your knowledge of the Federal Railroad Administration’s safety regulations–everything from hazardous materials to Hours of Service–if you attend the UTU/FRA Training Workshop in Chicago on Thursday, November 8.
Only 40 spaces are available. Any UTU member can apply but priority will be given to union officers.
“I urge all our officers to attend,” said UTU Illinois Legislative Director Joseph C. Szabo. “An officer who attends the Training Workshop does more than update his own knowledge. He updates the knowledge of his members as well, because members rely on the officers to supply the facts and insight they need to do their jobs safely.”
In fact, Szabo said, officers who attend the Training Workshop will come away with a two-edged sword: In addition to helping members improve their workplace-safety practices, they can do a better job monitoring carrier compliance with FRA safety regulations.
Areas to be covered at the Training Workshop include hazardous materials; mechanical inspections; Class I, II and III Air Tests; Hours of Service; Notice of Proposed Rules on Switches, Derails and Shove Moves; Utility Employees–Part 218 (Attach/Detach) and an open Q&A session. The course will be conducted by FRA Region 4 personnel Mike Long, Robert Butcher,Jeff Farrell and Scott Hoose.
The Training Workshop will be held at the UNITE HERE Building at 333 S. Ashland Avenue in Chicago’s “Uniontown” district. The address is accessible from the Ashland Avenue exits of I-290, the Eisenhower Expressway, and is within walking distance of the western exit of the Loomis/Racine station on the CTA Blue Line rapid-transit route.
Registration is at 8:30 a.m., and instruction will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. A continental breakfast and luncheon will be provided.
To reserve space, call Tina at the UTU Illinois Legislative Board in Chicago (312) 236-5353. Any general members interested in attending will be placed on the waiting list.
