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Operation RedBlock - An Historic Overview
In recent years much attention has been focused on the need to eliminate substance abuse from the ranks of railroad operating employees. Accidents such as, the Livingston, LA, hazardous material incident of 1982, and the Conrail/Amtrak incident of 1987 in Chase, MD, have heightened public awareness.
For approximately 150 years the American Railroad industry has attempted to address and solve the problem of employee substance abuse. Severe disciplinary measures, including dismissal of offenders and co-conspirators, have failed to satisfactorily deter substance-abusing workers.
Operation RedBlock is a union-initiated, company supported program that uses the concept of peer involvement to prevent the use by employees of alcohol and/or drugs while on duty or subject to call. Currently more than 3000 operating employees throughout CSX have been trained as Prevention Committee volunteers, and participate in ongoing, self-initiated activities and projects designed to educate co-workers about Operation RedBlock. These activities include picnics, banners, poster contests, programs produced with films and coffee during changes in tour of duty, letter campaign and cook outs, just to name a few. Two full-time Operation RedBlock Coordinators travel the property to provide support to the Prevention Committees as they develop strategies for new ways to share the message: "We are all entitled to a safe workplace. Working together, we can rid our workplace of alcohol and drugs."
It was in February, 1984, that the first meeting between labor and CSX management took place. Representatives of the BLE (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers) met with CSX Officials. One week later, representatives of the UTU (United Transportation Union) met with the same CSX Officials. Nine months later, in November, the first Operation RedBlock training session was held in Huntington, WV, for approximately 75 employee volunteers from the West Virginia Division. In February 1988, the Corbin Division training session was held, officially completing the introduction of Operation RedBlock throughout the CSX Network.
Many milestones and much hard work took place during that period of time in which Operation RedBlock was implemented throughout CSX. A steering committee was formed that brought together company officials, General Chairmen and top BLE and UTU Leaders; and it was that steering committee that targeted each division for the introduction into Operation RedBlock. Once a division was identified, the Division Manager invited all General Chairmen, who in turn invited all Local Chairmen on the division to an organizational meeting.This meeting was the key event because labor leadership voted at that time whether or not to implement Operation RedBlock on that division. Line officer briefings were also held on each division to afford the Division Manager's staff the oppurtunity to learn the philosophy of Operation RedBlock, and how it works. The staff's role in the program protocol and what top corporate management expected of the staff once Operation RedBlock was introduced on its division.
Within the first year of implementation of Operation RedBlock on the West Virginia Division, safety records within the Transportation Department improved. There was a total lack of Rule G violations sent to Boards of Inquiry. Union rank and file membership was enthusiastically supportive of the program and labor management cooperation had improved markedly. These early indicators of success gave labor and management the impetus to wade through the trials and errors of implementation.
With the introduction of Operation RedBlock on each division, the volunteers and the program leaders benefited from the growing track record. In 1986 the Railroad Yardmasters of America merged with the UTU, bringing its members under the Operation RedBlock umbrella. The following year, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen became the fourth major labor organization, and the first non-operating craft, to enter into full partnership with the BLE and UTU, as Operation RedBlock participants. In 1994 the American Train Dispatchers of America, joined in full partnership under Operation RedBlock, thus bringing all of the operating unions under Operation RedBlock. Then in 1995 the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers Union became the second non-operating union to become a partner in Operation RedBlock. So successful has been the grassroots response to the program that in 1987, two Operation RedBlock System Coordinators were appointed to provide full-time support to the volunteer effort. Both incumbents are members of sponsoring labor organizations and have been awarded leaves of absence from their regularly scheduled duties.
In the brief period between the introduction of Operation RedBlock and today corporate financial commitments has continued.
Only by taking a strong stand against alcohol and drug use by fellow workers, will the problem ever be corrected.
Operation RedBlock is your program...and it works!
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