Brothers and Sisters,<br />&nbsp; On Friday, January 19, 2018, Vice Local Chairperson, Mr. Joey Garcia, conferenced with central region management discussing the expectations of the Assistant Vice President of the Central Region, Mr. William Setser. Mr. Setser was in attendance along with Mr. Justin Meko, Vice President of safety, compliance, and training, via teleconference. Mr. Setser was open to hearing our concerns about the increase in discipline cases as well as the handling of investigations, formally and informally, prior to hearings. We have agreed to discuss the handling of alleged violations further at a later date.<br />&nbsp;  Both, Mr. Setser and Mr. Meko expressed their commitment to safety. They&#039;re both looking at shoving movements more stringent. If you are shoving trains make sure that all relevant information is being communicated before starting your movement and be on the point of the shove. Be sure your switch points are clear of obstructions and switches are lined for your route. <br />&nbsp;  For those sisters and brothers shoving in the Chicago yard facility, I implore you to pay close attention to your line ups. Mr. Setser informed us that he has zero tolerance for violations of shoving movements in territory governed by GCOR rule 6.28. We must be vigilant in our movement over the railcom switches that are controlled and lined by a yard control operator. He mentioned that part of the pertinent information that should be shared is the aspect on the switch indicator stand, and the line up of every switch you will shunt your entire move. Though this may seem extreme, it is what&#039;s expected. Yes, it will cause more radio traffic, moves will take longer, and certain mid level management will be upset; however, this is what their superiors want. If you encounter a switch that is dark or misaligned, please document the switch number, date, and time. Please pass this documentation along to me, for it will be passed along to management. Ultimately, we&nbsp; are gathering this information to request management to revisit and overhaul the current railcom system. <br />&nbsp;  We are under new management. A number of Amtrak&#039;s corporate managers have come from freight railroads of recent, and I am sure that there will be more to come. We will continue to carry ourselves as professionals and hold management accountable if they elect to violate the agreement. If you think or see management violating the agreement, please notify your local officer/committeeperson. If a manager orders you to do something in violation of the CBA, follow the order UNDER PROTEST, make a record of the encounter, and notify a union officer/committeeperson. Please do not get into pissing matches with these managers, &quot;work now grieve it later&quot;. <br /><br /><br />Fraternally yours,<br /><br /><br /><br />DeVar Thompson<br />SMART-TD Local 168<br />Local Chairperson<br />773-606-4321<br />