I belong to the UTU because they give me the best service, handle my claims and grievances aggressively, and communicate their actions with me.

I belong to the UTU because I expect my union to care about the day-to-day issues that affect my family, and the UTU meets that expectation.

The UTU has a crew consist agreement that guarantees at least one position on every train. Thus, the UTU contracts guarantee job security. (The other organization does not have an agreement that guarantees employment. Simply stated, there is no rule that requires a locomotive engineer on any job.)

The UTU constitution protects all crafts. The UTU cannot negotiate an agreement for the benefit of one craft over another craft. Each craft -- locomotive engineer, conductor, yardmen, and trainmen -- have exclusivity of vote. If one craft rejects an agreement, it is rejected for all the crafts. This means that if the engineers, trainmen and yardmen approve an agreement, but the conductors reject an agreement, the entire agreement is rejected.

The UTU not only is the largest -- by far -- of railroad unions, it collects more voluntary political action campaign (PAC) money than all of the rest of rail labor combined. On Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the UTU is considered the leader on safety, your pension, your job security, and your family's health care.

The UTU holds the future for all current train and engine service employees. It is the UTU agreement -- and only the UTU agreement with its crew consist protection -- that actually protects you and serves you as new technology is developed and implemented.

Crew consist protection in the UTU agreement protects your right to work a job (seniority). More importantly, the UTU agreement addresses the handling and implementation of new technology. And the UTU agreement protects each individual craft.

Technology is changing our industry and working conditions on a daily basis. The throttle on the control stand of a locomotive could very well be the telegraph key of the past.

The UTU understands this, and our agreement addresses it.

The UTU agreement affords you the right to work in another craft if the need arises. It addresses the new technological advances such as remote control and what is "yet" to come. The UTU agreement guarantees at least one conductor job on every train.

That is why I belong to the organization that holds the contract that protects me and my right to work in this industry now and in the future.