Dear Sisters and Brothers,<br /><br />We are now embarking on the time of the year where inclement weather will be a factor in our daily duties. We must stay vigilant for the safety of our members and passengers when we are performing service. I implore you to think about safety as you perform your duties. Amtrak central division managements ambitions are to provide on time performance to our passengers at a cost of compromising safety, inadequate work conditions, and quality of service. The corporation has not informed the organizations of any plan in regards to &quot;winterization&quot;. Furthermore, there are no plans on how they will handle the equipment in regards to the upcoming extremely cold days ahead. <br />I have some safety concerns that I want to touch upon briefly, as you move in and out of the Chicago terminal and all of our outlying points this winter.<br /> <br />[b]Road Crews[/b]<br /><br />Road passengers crews who are handling their own train in the Chicago yard facility and/or outlying points must be alert in recognizing poor walking conditions. Particularly in the Chicago yard facility, mechanical personnel are notorious for leaving tools, brake shoes, wood blocks, etc, which are known safety hazards, throughout the yard. When covered in snow it can be an unseen tripping hazard. We must hold Morell Savoy accountable, for he expressed his &quot;willingness&quot; to provide a shuttle service to our road crews signing up in the yard when weather conditions are unfavorable while walking to your train. Please call the yardmaster for a ride to your train as needed. Road passenger crews who are shoving/pulling their own train must be mindful of your line up as well as the switch indicator aspects when shunting a track or lead to go in and out of the Chicago yard facility. If the switch indicator aspect does not show a green or yellow aspect be governed by Amtrak Chicago Subdivision Timetable No. 5 (8.19.2, D and E). For those sisters and brothers performing service on amfleet and horizon equipment (particularly on the wolverine service but not limited to crews working the lake shore limited and the cardinal service) be mindful not to overexert yourself while removing snow from steps for the safe detraining of the passenger. With the high passenger counts scheduled for the holidays and the elimination of loading plans for most of our state trains, it would behoove you to account safety over schedules when handling passengers at all station stops down line and if applicable at the initial terminal.<br /> <br />[b]Yard Crews[/b]<br /><br />Yard crews must be mindful of walking conditions throughout the entire yard facility. Whether you are walking through the storage yard, rip tracks, yard tracks, access roads, and platforms be attentive of the potentially hazardous condition when performing service within the facility. The carrier is intent on keeping all equipment on power throughout the winter months. It should be incumbent upon you that you walk your equipment assuming it is charged. If the equipment you are going to be switching out is on power, please notify the yardmaster so that the power can be shut off and/or ground power can be detached before coupling to the equipment. Please be sure that you are performing the proper brake test for any set of cars you&#039;re handling. Chicago is known for high winds, and cars will roll once air bleeds off from them. Testing the efficiency of the hand brake on any equipment being left and adding blocks should be paramount. If you&#039;re exposed to the elements for a lengthy amount of time, do not hesitate to find somewhere to warm up. The carrier will maintain that you are at fault if you experience hypothermia or frost bite, and they will declare that they have provided warming facilities for you to avoid this medical condition. the winter months nor anytime in your career is a good time to take shortcuts. The carrier is unforgiving when it comes down to honest errors, an honest error becomes willful neglect whether it is done knowingly or not in regards to rule violations. <br />A saying that I have learned throughout my time on the railroad is<br />[b]&quot;You work the rule you rule the work&quot;[/b]<br /> <br />Lastly, as we prepare for the holiday season may you and your family have a happy thanksgiving. For those sisters and brothers traveling out of town or working, have a safe trip and I look forward to seeing and hearing from you throughout the holiday season.<br /> <br /> <br />Fraternally yours,<br /> <br /> <br />DeVar Thompson<br />SMART Transportation Division<br />Local 168<br />devarthompson@gmail.com<br />773-606-4321<br />