Air/Political- State officials push for $125 million BWI expansion project – Baltimore Sun

July 12, 2013

The O’Malley administration is launching a three-year, $125 million construction project that will set the table for more international flights from BWI Marshall Airport.

The plans appear to dovetail with the likely move of the airport’s largest carrier, Southwest Airlines, into overseas markets and the Federal Aviation Administration’s plan to build a new tower there.

The project would modernize Concourse D — home to United, Delta, Jet Blue and US Airways — and create a secure connection to the international gates on Concourse E at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The new configuration would allow two Concourse D gates to be used for overseas flights.

The preliminary schedule calls for the design to be ready by fall 2014 and construction to be completed in fall 2016.

BWI will ask the Board of Public Works on July 24 to approve money to hire a designer and construction management company to draft blueprints.

“This development plan will support hundreds of jobs for Marylanders and increase travel, trade and business development in our state,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement. “Together, we are expanding opportunities for growth at BWI Marshall as a convenient, efficient airport for travelers throughout the region.”

The project will be paid for with $100 million from BWI’s passenger facility charges collected on each airline ticket and $25 million from the state’s Transportation Infrastructure and Investment Act of 2013.

The airport’s executive director, Paul Wiedefeld, who flew to Dallas on Thursday to brief Southwest officials on the proposal, characterized their response as “very pleased.”

Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said the airline supports BWI’s vision.

“This is clearly building the house that is the next chapter in our relationship,” Hawkins said. “BWI is clearly hedging on low fares, high customer service and low fees on international routes, and that’s what Southwest is all about.”

While Hawkins acknowledged Southwest’s international interest, the airline has not laid out specific plans. Southwest has told the airport it intends to start flying international routes perhaps as early as 2015, Wiedefeld said.

BWI’s proposal comes as the region’s busiest airport puts the finishing touches on a $100 million terminal expansion for domestic flights, continues a $356 million runway rehabilitation program and begins planning with the FAA for a new 228-foot air traffic control tower.

The FAA wants to replace the three-decade-old existing tower over Concourse C with a taller tower able to observe the entire airport. A new tower, at a cost of at least $26 million, could be integrated into another construction project at the airport.

via State officials push for $125 million BWI expansion project – Baltimore Sun.

Economy- Crude-Oil Prices Settle Lower, Gasoline at Four-Month High – WSJ.com

July 16, 2013

NEW YORK—Crude-oil futures settled lower Tuesday, while gasoline futures rallied to a four-month high due to refinery outages.

Light, sweet crude for August delivery settled 32 cents, or 0.3%, lower at $106 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. ICE North Sea Brent crude oil for August delivery, which expired at the close of trading, settled 31 cents higher at $109.40 a barrel.

While oil prices snapped a two-session gain, edging lower along with broader markets, gasoline futures rose Tuesday. Analysts attributed the move to a series of refinery outages, which tightened gasoline supplies during the peak summer driving season.

Traders and brokers doing business with Irving Oil on Monday said Canada’s largest independent refinery was forced to buy RBOB in the New York Harbor spot market for more than a week due to gasoline production problems. Meanwhile, planned maintenance continued at Phillips 66’s PSX +0.90% Bayway refinery in Linden, N.J., spokesman Rich Johnson said.

The outages sent front-month August gasoline futures to their highest level since March 15, settling 3.14 cents higher at $3.1343 a gallon. The gains come on the heels of a sharp rally in gasoline last week, which was also driven by refinery glitches.

Later this week, oil traders will turn to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on domestic oil inventories, with analysts expecting a third consecutive week of declines.

U.S. crude-oil inventories will show a decline of 2.2 million barrels in the week ended July 12, according to a survey of analysts by Dow Jones Newswires. Gasoline stocks are expected to fall by 400,000 barrels and distillate stocks, which include heating oil and diesel fuel, are forecast to rise by 1.7 million barrels. The survey estimated that refiners cut operations by 0.4 percentage point to 92% of capacity.

Additionally, the market is closely watching Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s congressional testimony on the state of the U.S. economy. They will look for indications of a clearer timeline on when the Fed will begin curtailing its stimulus efforts that have so far boosted economic growth in the U.S., the world’s largest oil consumer.

“Broader markets are drifting a little lower. Crude is also having a quiet trading day with a couple of tumultuous days ahead,” said Matt Smith, commodity analyst at energy-consulting firm Schneider Electric SU.FR +2.64% .

Separately, the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, said in its own survey late Tuesday that U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell by 2.6 million barrels last week. Gasoline stockpiles rose by 2.553 million barrels and stocks of distillate increased by 3.821 million barrels. Refinery runs increased to 92.5% from 92.1%, the API said.

August heating oil settled 2.08 cents higher at $3.0469 a gallon.

via Crude-Oil Prices Settle Lower, Gasoline at Four-Month High – WSJ.com.

Rail- Pacific Harbor Line, BLET ink five-year labor agreement.- Progressive Railroading

July 15, 2013

Pacific Harbor Line Inc. (PHL) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) recently signed a new five-year agreement covering the short line’s operating and maintenance-of-way employees.

The pact was overwhelmingly ratified by PHL employees and signed on July 4. The contract includes “significant” wage increases, employee contributions to health care coverage and modifications to some rules concerning profit sharing, overtime, the selection of job assignments and productivity, PHL and BLET officials said in a press release.

The BLET’s Division 214 in Long Beach, Calif., has represented PHL’s employees since the railroad was formed in 1998. Union employment at the short line has grown from 27 to nearly 120 in the past 15 years. The BLET — which recently marked its 150th anniversary — is a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and represents more than 57,000 U.S. employees.

Although the agreement took a few years to negotiate, it includes a key profit-sharing provision that “greatly improves the earning power of BLET members,” said BLET General Chairman Bill Hannah in a press release.

An Anacostia Rail Holdings subsidiary, PHL provides switching services to customers in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and dispatches all BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad trains within the ports.

The agreement reflects “teamwork, persistence and determination by both parties,” said PHL President Otis Cliatt II.

via Rail News – Pacific Harbor Line, BLET ink five-year labor agreement. For Railroad Career Professionals.

Rail- CSX set operating ratio, income records in Q1 despite weak export coal demand.- Progressive Railroading

July 17, 2013

Growth in merchandise and intermodal volumes more than offset a large decline in export coal demand for CSX Corp. in the second quarter, during which the Class I continued to post strong results in safety, service and efficiency. The combination of those factors helped the Class I register mostly solid financial results in the quarter.

Earnings per share climbed 6 percent to 52 cents, revenue increased 2 percent to nearly $3.1 billion, operating income rose 2 percent to a record $963 million, net income ratcheted up 4 percent to $535 million, volume inched up 1 percent to 1.65 million units and the operating ratio dipped 0.1 points to a record 68.6 compared with second-quarter 2012 figures. The results bested Zacks Consensus Estimates of 47 cents per share in earnings and $3.02 million in revenue.

Solid core pricing and volume growth, and “exceptional operating results” played major roles in driving financial results, said CSX Chairman, President and Chief Executive Office Michael Ward during an earnings conference held this morning.

Same-store sales rates increased an average of 2.3 percent in the quarter, helping the Class I achieve inflation-plus pricing in a low-inflation environment, said Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Clarence Gooden. In terms of operating results, on-time originations reached a record 91 percent, on-time arrivals climbed to a record 82 percent, average terminal dwell time fell to a record-low 21.9 hours and average system velocity increased to 23 mph versus second-quarter 2012’s 20.9 mph.

Revenue generated by commodity segment shows coal revenue declined 6 percent to $770 million and volume fell 6 percent to 310,000 units primarily because export coal volume plunged 23 percent in a depressed global market for thermal coal, said Gooden. Domestic coal volume rose 5 percent versus a weak comparison in second-quarter 2012, he said.

Merchandise revenue increased 4 percent to $1.8 billion and volume rose 3 percent to 702,000 units, driven by an 11 percent jump in chemical business, mostly related to oil and gas drilling, said Gooden. Intermodal revenue climbed 4 percent to $425 million and volume rose 2 percent to 644,000 units primarily due to record domestic volume propelled by truck conversions and organic growth, he said.

The operating expenses portion of CSX’s ledger shows total costs rose 2 percent to $2.1 billion as labor and fringe benefit expenses increased 4 percent to $777 million and depreciation expenses went up 5 percent to $276 million. Headcount dropped 3 percent year over year to 31,288, but inched up 1 percent compared with the first quarter. However, fuel costs declined 3 percent to $397 million due to efficiency and a 2 percent drop in the average price of diesel to $3.08 per gallon, said EVP and Chief Financial Officer Fredrik Eliasson.

Overall, CSX’s performance in the quarter and through the year’s first half has kept the railroad on track to achieve a high-60s operating ratio by 2015 and a mid-60s ratio longer term, he said.

via Rail News – CSX set operating ratio, income records in Q1 despite weak export coal demand. For Railroad Career Professionals.

Transit- MTA workers rally at Transport Workers Union building on Livingston St. for increased safety- News 12

July 11, 2013

BROOKLYN – MTA workers rallied outside of the Transport Workers Union building on Livingston Street in an effort to get increased security for unruly and violent passengers.

The union says the number of reported assaults on workers for the first half of this year is nearing the total reported assaults for the entirety of last year. Workers say passengers spit on, hit and verbally assault them, and they are tired of having their lives put at risk.

One Brooklyn bus driver said a man threatened to shoot him, then attacked him while he was driving on May 15.

via MTA workers rally at Transport Workers Union building on Livingston St. for increased safety.

Health/Safety- Bodies recovered slowly in Quebec train derailment – Times Union

July 12, 2013

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (AP) — Transportation workers moved carefully Friday in and around the site of the nearly week-old derailment that incinerated the heart of this small Quebec town and killed 50 people, searching for evidence that would help explain what led to such massive destruction.

Police, meanwhile, increased the number of people confirmed killed by four to 28 as the search for remains continued to be slowed by dangerous conditions — this time it was benzene fumes from the contaminated soil, which forced officials to try to ventilate the area. The other 22 people are presumed dead.

Information and material being put together by investigators includes the track’s grade, the train’s weight and how many brakes were set shortly before the locomotive and 72 tankers carrying shale oil began rolling down a slope in the early hours of Saturday, gathering speed for seven miles (11 kilometers) before slamming into the downtown of Lac-Megantic. The crash and ensuing explosions destroyed homes, businesses, a municipal library and the popular Musi-Cafe bar that was filled with people.

“I keep coming back to the Musi-Cafe because I have two children in their 20s and they could have easily been at a bar like that,” said Wendy Tadros, chairwoman of Canada’s Transportation Safety Board. “I’m sorry I cannot do more to relieve your grief.”

It will be months or longer before investigators will be able to draw any conclusions about what happened, Tadros said. Investigators plan to produce a 3D model through laser scanning of images being collected at the scene of the disaster.

Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of U.S.-based Rail World Inc., which owns the runaway train, has blamed the engineer for failing to set the brakes on the train, which came from North Dakota.

Burkhardt said the engineer had been suspended without pay and was under “police control.” Burkhardt did not name the engineer, though the company had previously identified the employee as Tom Harding of Quebec. Harding has not spoken publicly since the crash.

The devastated downtown remained dangerous all week as responders put out fires and struggled to keep the remaining oil tankers cool so they wouldn’t explode. The hazardous conditions delayed the search for remains, which were burned so badly that coroners have been able to identify only eight bodies so far.

The first victim to be named by the coroner’s office Thursday was 93-year-old Eliane Parenteau. Officials did not release the names of the other seven Friday, saying their families had not been notified yet.

Earlier Friday, mourners gathered in a church near the crash site. Around town, flags flew at half-mast and small, impromptu memorials dotted the landscape. A candlelight vigil planned for Friday night was canceled after police said they didn’t have the resources to oversee large crowds.

The derailment is Canada’s worst railway disaster since a train plunged into a Quebec river in 1864, killing 99.

The crash has raised questions about the rapidly growing use of rail to transport oil in North America, especially in the booming North Dakota oil fields and Alberta oil sands far from the sea.

via Bodies recovered slowly in Quebec train derailment – Times Union.

Transit/Safety- More cameras mounted in NYC buses to protect drivers from violent fares – NY Daily News

July 14, 2013

Punks beware: The number of security cameras on buses has more than doubled since last summer and some drivers — fearful of being attacked — are packing Mace.

Between January 2010 and Wednesday, riders physically attacked MTA drivers 313 times, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority statistics. On average, approximately seven drivers a month are slapped, punched or even stabbed while on duty.

And the assault statistics don’t include the disgusting but not uncommon incidents of drivers being spat on.

“You are constantly wary,” Bronx bus driver Vaughn Brooks said at a transit union protest against the violence held outside a NYC Transit office building Thursday in downtown Brooklyn. “You don’t trust anybody. You are always on your guard.”

Drivers and union officials say far too little has changed since Edwin Thomas, a Brooklyn bus driver, was stabbed to death in 2008.

Drivers and union officials say far too little has changed since Edwin Thomas, a Brooklyn bus driver, was stabbed to death in 2008.

Transit officials hope the added technology, along with other steps, will help turn the tide against the bad guys.

After years of delays, an MTA effort to install cameras on buses has finally taken off. Since last July, the number of buses with the security equipment has grown from 500 to 1,210, a spokesman for MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said. That’s approximately 21% of the fleet. And by early next year, the number is expected to grow to 1,576, or 27% of the fleet, the spokesman said.

Increasingly, police investigating the steady series of driver assaults have video footage of the culprits they are looking to identify and arrest, said Vincent DeMarino, NYC Transit security chief.

The NYPD recently released video images of a woman in a gray hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants who slashed a Bronx bus driver in the arm at 4 p.m. July 5. The woman, who fled after sudden and unprovoked attack at Southern Blvd. and Westchester Ave., has not yet been caught.

Since last July, the number of buses with the security equipment has grown from 500 to 1,210 — or 21% of the fleet.

Since last July, the number of buses with the security equipment has grown from 500 to 1,210 — or 21% of the fleet.

Just three days earlier, another bus driver was punched and robbed of her purse at Delancey St. and FDR Drive. The robber boarded after the driver had discharged all the passengers at the lower East Side stop.

About 80 bus drivers attended a Thursday rally organized by Transport Workers Union Local 100. Angry drivers and union officials said they want the MTA to move more quickly with the installation of cameras and safety partitions. They also called on the NYPD to routinely have officers ride buses.

Drivers and union officials said far too little has changed since Edwin Thomas, a Brooklyn bus driver, was stabbed to death by an ex-con fare-beater in 2008.

One veteran bus driver said he started carrying Mace after Thomas’ murder. “In case somebody tries to attack me,” he said. “I want to make it home to my family.”

A female bus driver who works the overnight shift in the Bronx said she’s carried Mace on the job for about four years. “Sometimes I don’t think it’s enough but that’s what I carry right now,” she said. “You hear about all these assaults and you say to yourself, ‘I don’t want that to be me.'”

via More cameras mounted in NYC buses to protect drivers from violent fares  – NY Daily News.

Air- US Airways shareholders overwhelmingly approved the proposed merger with American Airlines on Friday. -Aviation Pros

July 13, 2013

July 13–US Airways shareholders overwhelmingly approved the proposed merger with American Airlines on Friday.

Of 132.8 million shares voted, 132.3 million were cast in favor of the $11 billion merger, and 257,757 against, the company said. A further 256,523 were held by shareholders who abstained.

“This approval is a major milestone on our path to completing the merger, and we continue to make excellent progress overall thanks to the focused efforts of the dedicated representatives from both companies,” US Airways CEO Doug Parker said.

The next step will be securing regulatory approval from the U.S. Justice Department which is expected to rule before the end of September on antitrust concerns.

Parker has pledged to maintain all nine American and US Airways hubs, including Philadelphia.

One Philadelphia shareholder, Jim White, attending the meeting thanked Parker for keeping Philadelphia as a hub.

“You need not thank us for our commitment to Philadelphia,” Parker said. “We do well there, and we love the city. We love being the largest carrier there. Our hub does well for US Airways, will do even better as part of a larger network at American.”

“This merger will be great for Philadelphia, for the state of Pennsylvania, actually for everywhere we serve,” Parker said. “It will just make that hub stronger as part of a stronger American Airlines. We are looking forward to a continued relationship with the city.”

Outside the meeting in New York City, a small group of community and labor advocates representing low-wage airport workers protested. They demanded better pay for nonunion employees of private companies that have low-bid contracts with airlines to provide services by skycaps, wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers and aircraft cabin cleaners. Several airport workers spoke at the meeting.

The combined airline, which will be called American and be based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, will operate a fleet of 1,215 aircraft and have more than 100,000 employees, annual revenue of nearly $40 billion, and 6,700 flights to 336 destinations in 56 countries.

The merger is an $11 billion, all-stock transaction, with 72 percent of the combined airline owned by American shareholders and 28 percent by US Airways shareholders.

via US Airways shareholders overwhelmingly approved the proposed merger with American Airlines on Friday..

The Chief- Lhota, Samuelsen In War of Words Over Who Stalled Contract – The Chief: News Of The Week

July 15, 2013

Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen snapped back last week after former Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joseph J. Lhota questioned his willingness to negotiate a new contract and accused him of taking a “gimme, gimme, gimme” bargaining stance.

During NY1’s televised Republican mayoral debate, Mr. Lhota was asked how he could be expected to settle all the city’s unresolved labor contracts when he’d been unable to reach an agreement with the transit union. The local’s 38,000 members have been working under an expired contract since both sides agreed to negotiate past the Jan. 15, 2012 deadline. Pacts for the other municipal unions are also expired—in many cases for at least three years—and talks stalled over Mayor Bloomberg’s insistence the city can’t afford to pay retroactive raises.

Claims TWU Ducked Talks

“The TWU canceled negotiating meetings 19 separate times” during his tenure, Mr. Lhota said, noting that there is still no contract six months after he quit to run for Mayor. Former New York City Transit head Thomas Prendergast was nominated as his successor shortly after, but wasn’t confirmed by the State Senate until late June. Talks are reportedly due to resume shortly.

“To negotiate you need two willing parties,” Mr. Lhota continued. “The TWU is still not ready.”

He said that the union would have to accept “numerous” work-rule changes, and that employees would have to pay for a larger share of health-care costs.

“All they want is the raise, and keep everything else the same,” Mr. Lhota said. “That’s not collective bargaining; that’s gimme, gimme, gimme.”

He added, “I’m not sure that the leadership of the Transport Workers Union knows how to negotiate a contract.” Mr. Samuelsen “never negotiated a contract in his life” and didn’t seem to be listening to his advisers, he said.

“He’s a bold-faced liar,” the union leader retorted in an interview. “That’s utterly ridiculous. I met with Lhota on an absolutely routine basis throughout his tenure here on a host of issues.”

He said both sides rescheduled meetings at times, often by mutual agreement.

‘Demands Were Outrageous’

“He’s really saying I steadfastly refused the crazed concessions he demanded,” he added. “Once I stood up to him, his response is, ‘He doesn’t know how to negotiate.’ In terms of ability to understand that contract bargaining is a two-way street, it’s Lhota who’s actually stumbling around in the dark in terms of one-sided bargaining. Lhota was making really outrageous concessionary demands of Local 100 and not looking to give any substantive wage increases in return.”

Mr. Samuelsen acknowledged that he’d rather delay a contract settlement than give up too much, especially since the MTA was reporting particularly dire financial numbers in early 2012, as the deadline approached.

“I could settle a contract tomorrow, but I do not want to [accept one] that has massive concessions in it just for the sake of settling a contract. It’s idiotic on the face of it to do that.

“My [in-house] opponents said I should have settled [by the deadline]—but in the past, during recessions, the contracts were extremely concessionary, some of the most concessionary in the union’s history,” he added.

‘Lhota a Bean-Counter’

Mr. Samuelsen objected sharply to the idea that he’d never negotiated before, saying he’d worked on “large chunks” of the Local 100 contract as an elected officer since 2002. And he drew a bold line between Mr. Lhota and his successor.

“Lhota doesn’t know a damn thing about how to run a subway or bus system,” he said. “Prendergast knows what Track Workers go through when they’re swinging a hammer all day in the tunnel in 110-degree heat. Lhota has no idea; he’s just a two-bit bean-counter from the financial industry.”

“Prendergast is not fumbling around in the dark. He knows what it takes to keep the system going…We may very well still run into a brick wall in our negotiations, but time will tell.”

via Lhota, Samuelsen In War of Words Over Who Stalled Contract – The Chief: News Of The Week.

Transit/Health- San Francisco’s Bus and Rail Operators Demand Private Bathrooms on Public Space – John Metcalfe – The Atlantic Cities

July 16, 2013

The Bay Area was recently paralyzed by striking unions who want a better contract with the BART rail system. Might San Francisco’s MUNI operators be the next ones to mutiny, this time over a more basic demand – a decent place to pee?The city’s approximately 2,000 rail and bus drivers haven’t reached the walk-out stage yet, but they are speaking in firm tones to the city about their lack of restrooms. It can take an hour or more to complete a route, and they say they’re unfairly expected to either dash into gas stations, restaurants or city-approved porta-potties or else grimace and bear their aching bowels. Other options like peeing in a bottle or out the window seem mostly practiced by the passenger class.The transit agency has traditionally paid local businesses a yearly fee $4,000 and $5,000 per establishment for the right to access their facilities. But the MUNI’s has managed to get the city to start building more bathrooms on public spaces near transit stops. These primo commodes are up to 10 feet high and have about 90 square feet of leg room; at $170,000 each and with 36 planned, they would cost more than $6 million. Oh, yeah: They are also private, meaning if you’re not wearing a MUNI uniform forget about seeing the inside of one.Last week, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors asked the union to “try to whittle” the cost down, both to protect the municipal budget and scarce sidewalk space. But so far the MUNI workers are sticking to their guns. “We refuse to be treated as second-class citizens in regards to using a restroom while serving the public and the city,” said a representative of Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, according to the SF Examiner. “If there is a concern about a restroom costing $170,000, I have to ask how much does it cost for the city in workers’ compensation costs for renal failure of an operator? I think it’s a lot more than $170,000.”If built in full, the exclusive commodes would make MUNI employees some of the most pampered transit operators in the nation. New York’s drivers still rely on the bathrooms at restaurants, 7-Elevens and a ferry building, for instance, and Chicago’s operators sometimes use restrooms at municipal garages that they’ve described as “unsanitary” or moldy “hell holes.”

via San Francisco’s Bus and Rail Operators Demand Private Bathrooms on Public Space – John Metcalfe – The Atlantic Cities.

Rail- U.S. carloads and intermodal loads climbed in July’s first week, AAR says.- Progressive Railroading

July 12, 2013

U.S. railroads got off to a good traffic start in July. In the week ending July 6, their carloads increased 2 percent to 247,896 and their intermodal volume rose 1.1 percent to 205,597 units compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Total U.S. traffic for the week ratcheted up 1.6 percent as five of 10 carload commodity groups posted gains, led by petroleum and petroleum products (36.3 percent), and nonmetallic minerals and products (11.6 percent). Motor vehicles and parts traffic dipped 13.8 percent and agricultural products volume declined 7 percent.

But U.S. railroads expect better ag product outcomes in the second half as year-over-year comparisons ease due to the 2013 drought, said Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. analysts in their weekly “Rail Flash” report.

“The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates of the USDA were released recently, and corn production estimates were lowered by 55 million bushels due to lower harvested area,” they wrote. “That said, current production estimates for 2013/14 would still surpass the record in 2009/10 by nearly 1 billion bushels.”

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported weekly carloads totaling 68,361, down 7.3 percent, and intermodal volume totaling 50,860 units, up 5.1 percent year over year. Mexican railroads’ carloads climbed 13.7 percent to 16,036 and their intermodal volume inched up 0.2 percent to 9,099 units.

Through 2013’s first 27 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads handled 9,982,600 carloads, down 0.3 percent, and 8,144,364 containers and trailers, up 3.6 percent compared with the same 2012 period.

via Rail News – U.S. carloads and intermodal loads climbed in July’s first week, AAR says. For Railroad Career Professionals.

Air- Allegiant to reduce Hawaii flight attendant jobs- – KPUA Hawaii News

July 3, 2013

HONOLULU (AP) The union representing Allegiant Air flight attendants says the airline is eliminating nearly half its Hawaii-based jobs.

Transport Workers Union Local 577 says Hawaii-based flight attendants were notified Monday that 37 full-time positions will be reduced to 20 positions.

TWU International Vice President Thom McDaniel says Hawaii flight attendants are being told they can compete for open jobs in other cities. A statement from the Las Vegas-based airline says Honolulu staffing needs have changed because of schedule changes.

McDaniel says the union has been asking what will happen to Hawaii flight attendants after the airline announced in April it would cancel flights from seven U.S. mainland cities to Honolulu.

He says now flight attendants will have to uproot their lives in order to continue working for the airline.

via KPUA.net – KPUA Hawaii News – Allegiant to reduce Hawaii flight attendant jobs.

Air- Transport Workers Secretary in Texas Pleads Guilty; Sentenced- National Legal and Policy Center

July 3, 2013

On June 3, Kady Tucker, former office secretary of Transport Workers Union Local 575, pleaded guilty in the 396th District Court, Tarrant County, Texas, to three counts of forgery from the Euless (suburban Fort Worth) union. That same day, she was sentenced to five years of probation, and ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and make $2,777 in restitution. Tucker had been charged in January. The actions follow a probe by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards.

via Transport Workers Secretary in Texas Pleads Guilty; Sentenced | National Legal and Policy Center.

Air- Southwest Airlines offering free live TV on many flights – Triangle Business Journal

July 5, 2013

Southwest Airlines passengers can now watch live TV on their mobile devices for free while flying on the carrier’s Wi-Fi-enabled planes. The airline previously charged $5 for the service.

It’s part of the “TV Flies Free” promotion in which Dish Network will offer Southwest (NYSE: LUV) customers 14 live channels on 425 Wi-Fi-equipped planes, which make up about 75% of Southwest’s fleet, USA Today reports. The programming will be streamable on iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and most other internet-ready mobile devices.

JetBlue and Virgin Airways have offered free live TV for years, but only on seat-back screens.

via Southwest Airlines offering free live TV on many flights – Triangle Business Journal.

Air- Airlines underperform after weekend crash – MarketWatch.com

July 8, 2013

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Shares of airlines rose along with the market early Monday, though they generally underperformed the main indexes. The action comes after the Saturday plane crash at San Francisco International Airport that killed two and injured more than 180. Beyond negative sentiment around the crash, airlines also are feeling pressure from last week’s jump in oil prices due to turmoil in Egypt, an important transit point for crude. The NYSE Arca Airline Index rose 0.3%, while the major stock indexes were up all up about 0.5%. United Continental Holdings Inc. edged up 0.1%, US Airways Group Inc. gained 0.7% and Southwest Airlines Co. added 0.5%. Boeing Co. , which built the 777 jet that crashed, dipped 0.1%. An air taxi also crashed Sunday in rural Alaska, killing all 10 people aboard.

via Airlines underperform after weekend crash – MarketWatch.com.

Transit- BART and unions meeting with mediators as conflict continues- San Francisco Examiner

July 10, 2013

Representatives of BART and its two biggest labor unions met separately Tuesday with state mediators but won’t resume formal negotiations until Friday, BART spokesman Rick Rice said.

Tuesday’s talks are the first since late Thursday night, when management and the unions agreed to extend workers’ existing contract for 30 days so they can continue to try to find common ground on a new contract.

The agreement ended a strike, at least temporarily, by members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 — which represents 945 station agents, train operators and clerical workers — and Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents 1,430 mechanics and clerical workers.

BART service resumed at 3 p.m. Friday, ending the 4½-day strike, which began July 1.

Rice said it will be up to state mediators to determine the format for the formal negotiations Friday. He said the talks could be face-to-face, or the mediators could decide to shuttle back and forth between the two sides to trade proposals.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” Rice said.

Among the key issues in the contract talks, which began April 1, are wages, employee contributions for health care and retirement costs, and safety.

Union leaders were not available for comment Tuesday.

via BART and unions meeting with mediators as conflict continues | Transportation | San Francisco Examiner.

Transit- NJ Transit board approves budget – Times Union

July 11, 2013

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Transit has approved a budget that keeps fares the same for the fourth fiscal year in a row.

The $1.94 billion operating budget for fiscal 2014 is $37 million higher than fiscal 2013 spending plan.

Nearly half of the revenue in the budget approved Thursday comes from fares and reflects a $26.4 million or three percent growth in passenger revenue.

NJ Transit says approximately 58 percent of the operating budget will be spent on labor and fringe benefits costs.

NJ Transit’s board also approved a $1.2 billion capital program. NJ Transit plans to use that money to buy new rail cars and buses. It also will be spent to make improvements along the Northeast Corridor, including work on the Portal Bridge and renovations at Newark Penn Station.

via NJ Transit board approves budget – Times Union.

Transit- Union Wants More Protection For City Bus Drivers From Potential Attacks – NY1

July 10, 2013

City bus drivers are having an ugly July.

In the first 10 days of the month, drivers have been mugged aboard the M14 in Manhattan, slashed in the arm on the Bx5 and stabbed in the hand on the Bx41 in the Bronx.

Some bus drivers, including one who says he got whacked in the forehead by a passenger with an umbrella, are saying enough is enough.

“We had three operators that was injured. Blood was shed,” said Steven Kirton, a bus driver. “What’s the next step?”

On Thursday, the transport workers’ union plans to rally in Brooklyn to push the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to install more safety barriers in buses. The union is also urging drivers to shut buses down if they think someone is about to attack one of them or a passenger.

“I’m not gonna have an operator driving a bus while they’re being assaulted or abused,” said J.P. Patafio, of Transport Workers Union Local 100. “We’re going to stop the bus, because that is the way attention is going to be made.”

The MTA said it’s installed bus operator shields on 1,500 buses and cameras on almost as many, but that’s not good enough, or fast enough, for the union.

The MTA presently uses 14 different types of bus models, making the task of outfitting the different models with safety barriers a little trickier.

The agency said there have been 51 reported bus driver assaults through the first half of the year. Last year at this time, there’d been 47

The MTA said attacks against drivers have dropping since 2009. They said 126 drivers were assaulted that year.

The union contends that some assaults go unreported.

“You can go to any bus operator in any any depot and ask them if they’ve been assaulted or cursed at or abused, and I guarantee you they’ll say yes,” Patafio said.

An assault on a bus driver can carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence, but the union said that’s a penalty that’s rarely enforced.

via Union Wants More Protection For City Bus Drivers From Potential Attacks – NY1.

Organizing/Air- Transport Workers accuse Teamsters of forging signatures – Financial and Business News – MENAFN

Jul 10, 2013

(Menafn – Tulsa World – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) –The Transport Workers Union plans to contest the Teamsters attempt to force a representation vote among American Airlines mechanics, alleging the rival union forged signatures on a petition.

A TWU official said Wednesday that they have gathered evidence of fraudulent signature gathering from the Teamsters and that they will file an official challenge with the National Mediation Board on Tuesday, July 16.

“The rumors have been flying around for months and months about these forgeries and now we have nailed down sufficient evidence,” TWU organizer Fred McCann said in a phone interview.

After decades of TWU leadership at American Airlines, on May 28 the International Brotherhood of Teamsters filed signatures with the National Mediation Board to force a representation vote among some 12,000 maintenance workers.

A Teamsters spokesman did not have an immediate response to the allegations.

Federal rules say that a challenging union needs to gather signatures from a majority of eligible workers. Those signatures are compared to a list on hand from American Airlines.

The National Mediation Board is still vetting the Teamsters’ submission.

Teamsters have also challenged more than 1,300 signatures on American Airlines’ employee list.

The group contends that those people are ineligible to vote because they have been furloughed and taken jobs elsewhere.

The Teamsters have been trying to organize a union representation challenge at American Airlines for about a year, as the company was in the midst of a painful bankruptcy reorganization process. The company managed to exact significant pension cuts from American Airlines employees and the elimination of thousands of positions.

The TWU has accused the Teamsters of raiding jobs. The Teamsters contend that the TWU has been too willing to concede to demands from American Airlines management going back to 2003.

The Teamsters never released the number of signatures that they gathered from American Airlines mechanics and related workers.

But American Airlines turned in a larger-than-anticipated employee list of more than 12,000 workers, raising the threshold for the Teamsters.

Voting started Monday at US Airways as the Teamsters tries to overthrow the incumbent International Association of Machinists.

If the Teamsters can win over the 4,000 mechanics and related, there could be another showdown with the TWU in the future after US Airways and American Airlines merge. The TWU and Machinists unions have already agreed to share bargaining rights after the merger, which is expected to close by the end of September.

But that deal is only valid if the TWU and Machinists still represent workers at both unions. US Airways maintenance workers have until Aug. 12 to vote in their union representation election, either over the internet or phone.

via Transport Workers accuse Teamsters of forging signatures – Financial and Business News – MENAFN.

Air- Southwest Gains Traffic in June – Zacks.com

July 10, 2013

Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines Co. LUV – Analyst Report witnessed improvements in traffic and capacity in Jun 2013, supported by perked up activities across the network.Ads by GoogleThe company’s traffic – measured in revenue passenger miles RPMs – was 9.85 billion for the reported month, up 2.3% from 9.62 billion recorded a year ago. On a year-over-year basis, consolidated capacity or available seat miles/ASMs moved up 1.7% to 11.59 billion. The load factor or percentage of seats filled by passengers improved marginally to 85.0% from 84.4% in Jun 2012.For the first half of this year, Southwest generated RPMs of 51.69 billion up 1.6% year over year and ASMs of 65.03 billion up 1.8% year over year. Load factor was 79.5%, reflecting a decline of 20 basis points.We find Southwest focused on a number of initiatives to increase revenues and reduce costs over the next couple of quarters. These include the customer-friendly programs, profitable collaborations and network optimization.The company is also adding novel features to its services as well as introducing new products, which are enhancing its value and profitability. Recently, Southwest entered into a deal with Dish Network Corp. DISH – Analyst Report to provide the flyers of the airline free live television service on their own Internet devices including phones, tablets or laptops.The U.S. low-cost carrier will report its second quarter 2013 financial results on Jul 25, 2013, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings currently stands at 39 cents per share for the quarter. The estimate reflects a year-over-year growth of 7.9%.Southwest – which operates along with other prominent players such as United Continental Holdings UAL – Analyst Report and JetBlue Airways JBLU – Analyst Report – currently holds a Zacks Rank #3, implying a Hold rating.

via Southwest Gains Traffic in June – July 10, 2013 – Zacks.com.

Economy- Crude Oil Prices Out Of Sync With Fundamentals- Fx Empire Network

July 1, 2013

WTI crude oil gained 8 cents on Friday to $97.13 a barrel, ending the quarter down 10 cents but up $5.31 from the close of 2012. On Friday, oil came under pressure from the stronger dollar as investors resumed pricing in the possibility that the Federal Reserve will begin to pare back its bond-buying program as soon as its September policy meeting. This morning oil is tumbling to trade at 96.18 as traders look closely at the fundamentals of supply and demand.

There is nothing including geopolitical tensions to support oil at this price, as speculators continue to push prices upwards on the back of positive economic data from the US. The other side of this argument is the Fed’s reduction in its asset purchases. Neither of these arguments supports prices above the 97.00 price level.

Positive data from Japan, which indicates that “Abeconomic” is working well, turning around the economic situation, with the Japanese Tankan release this morning reporting above expectations and last week’s long list of data releases showing success due to the aggressive monetary stimulus program of the Bank of Japan, might support the BoJ to add additional stimulus, which could support oil prices. On the other hand is data from China over the past month which shows a slowdown in the recovery of the world’s number two user of crude oil. Last week the government revised downward 2013 growth estimates to 7.5% from 7.7%. This morning Chinese PMI data was mixed, with the HSBC private report showed a decline in manufacturing and also reported below the 50 divider line, while the official government release reported slightly higher above the 50 number, but traders pay more attention to the HSBC report. New orders from abroad shrank in June for the third month in a row and at a rate that was the fastest since September as foreign clients, particularly those in Europe and the United States, cut demand for Chinese goods even after China’s producers passed on savings from lower material costs and discounted charges, HSBC said.

Crude oil futures are likely to witness some downward correction due to profit booking in the coming week after trading mostly firm in last few sessions, Benchmark crude oil contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose over 4% during the week to a high of $97.82 per barrel Friday. NYMEX oil prices gained due to release of upbeat economic data from the US that boosted hopes regarding improved oil demand, US consumer spending in May grew 0.3%, in line with market expectation. Besides, US weekly jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 346,000 in week ended Jun 22, while pending home sales hit a six-year high in May. Economic data from the US is crucial for the market, as it is the world’s major oil consuming nation. Other fundamentals for crude oil are not very supportive, as the weekly oil inventory report by the US Energy Information Administration showed a sharp rise in petrol stocks in the week ended Jun 21.

Natural gas continued to tumble as the month drew to a close, but rebounded a few pip on Monday morning, to trade at 3.597 well off its high just a month ago at the $4.40 level. Natural gas futures are continuously moving higher and in a swing pattern, forming higher‐highs and higher lows. But in last couple of months prices have just consolidated and indicated signs on correction. As summer sets in, the weather has not been hot enough to send residential use higher but inventories remain at their peak leaving natural gas demand lower and pulling down prices.

via Crude Oil Prices Out Of Sync With Fundamentals » Fx Empire Network.

Rail- Amtrak sets goal to hire more military veterans. Progressive Railroading

June 28, 2013

Amtrak officials have announced an employment goal that calls for military veterans to comprise 25 percent of new hires by 2015.

To help reach the target, the railroad will partner with recruiting groups that focus on veteran hiring, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring our Heroes, the Wounded Warrior Project, RecruitMilitaryband Army PaYS, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

In addition, Amtrak’s human resources department will participate in more than 30 military job fairs across the nation.

Due to retirements and new projects, Amtrak anticipates hiring more than 3,000 employees over the next year. In fiscal-year 2012, more than 14 percent of Amtrak’s new hires were veterans.

“The leadership, reliability and high-tech skills veterans bring to the job are a great resource to the operation of America’s railroad,” said Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman, a veteran of the Vietnam War.

In setting the goal, Amtrak joins other U.S. railroads that have announced commitments to hiring more veterans.

via Rail News – Amtrak sets goal to hire more military veterans. For Railroad Career Professionals.

Air- United Airlines, Transport Workers Union Reach Tentative Agreement- NASDAQ

June 27, 2013

(RTTNews.com) – United Airlines, a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc. ( UAL ), said Thursday that that it has reached a tentative agreement with the Transport Workers Union on a new collective bargaining agreement for flight simulator engineers based at its Houston flight training facility.

The agreement is subject to ratification by its members

via United Airlines, Transport Workers Union Reach Tentative Agreement.

Air- DOT: US airlines on upward financial track, but margins less than 1.5% – Finance & Data content from ATWOnline

June 28, 2013

The US Dept. of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reports the 10 largest US scheduled passenger airlines recorded a first-quarter net loss of $433 million, compared to a $1.72 billion net loss for the year-ago quarter. US airlines rebounded with a $1.28 billion improvement for the first quarter, year-over-year.

BTS, however, also noted it was the second consecutive quarterly net loss after two quarterly profits as a group. The 10 airlines—ranked by total number of passengers carried in the first quarter—carried 80.6% of US passengers during the first quarter. They are: Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, US Airways, ExpressJet, JetBlue Airways, SkyWest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and AirTran Airways, which began reporting jointly with Southwest in the second quarter of 2012.

First-quarter revenue for the 10 largest US airlines was $34.1 billion. US passenger airlines collected a total of $800 million in baggage fees and $685 million from reservation change fees for the three-month period.

Operating expenses for the first quarter of 2013 totaled $33.7 billion ($9.6 billion, or 28.6%, went to fuel costs), leaving an operating profit margin of $438 million, or 1.3%, up from the 0.7% margin of first quarter 2012. The 10 airlines have seen an operating profit margin as a group in each of the last eight quarters.

via DOT: US airlines on upward financial track, but margins less than 1.5% | Finance & Data content from ATWOnline.

Air- AMR reports strong May profit, predicts 2nd Q profit, first since 2007 – Financial and Business News – MENAFN

Jun 29, 2013

(Menafn – Tulsa World – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) –American Airlines CEO Tom Horton says the company could turn a second-quarter profit after netting 65 million in May.

Last month’s profit was welcome news for the bankrupt company, which lost 132 million in May 2012.

Through the first two months of the second quarter, parent AMR Corp. is still 40 million in the red, according to a company filing Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

AMR reported a 105 million loss in April, but earnings seem to be improving as American Airlines closes in on three months before its expected merger with Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways.

Horton says that in view of numbers logged in June 2012, a comparable travel month when the company made 33 million, a profitable quarter is within reach.

“Today we reported our financial results for May, which show continued progress toward completion of a most successful restructuring,” Horton said in a letter to employees. “And we expect to report a strong, profitable second quarter — our first since 2007.”

American has been reporting monthly financial details since it filed bankruptcy Nov. 29, 2011.

Airlines typically struggle in the first quarter, and American has had few winning quarters in the last decade plus.

American’s only quarterly profit since it filed bankruptcy was 262 million in the 2012 fourth quarter. Those results were aided by a favorable tax situation tied to losses that year.

Revenues in May were down by 51 million from May 2012, but the company managed to trim expenses by 120 million, thanks to revamped labor contracts and more passengers on fewer routes.

American Airlines is still garnering support for its bankruptcy reorganization plan. The company is set to emerge from court projection around Aug. 15, when the judge plans to hold a confirmation hearing.

The merger plan is awaiting federal antitrust approval, as well as a go-ahead vote by US Airways shareholders on July 12.

via AMR reports strong May profit, predicts 2nd Q profit, first since 2007 – Financial and Business News – MENAFN.