Last week a labor management meeting was held to discuss various issues at the site. As you all know there is a new director M. Redd, who has been sent to Newark to help improve performance at the site, and help the site meet its contractual obligations with the Port Authority and the Union. He has pledged to work with us to achieve these goals. Mr. Redd has over twenty years with Bombardier Transportation and began his career at Newark. We welcome his arrival, and are looking forward to a mutually satisfying relationship.
Phone policy:
Bombardier Newark has revised its SOP-6-9 to specifically deal with personal cell phone use while on duty. Many of you had questions about “Safety Sensitive Areas” and the new policy spells out the areas were cell phones are not permitted. This past March, two employees were terminated for violating the policy. The Union was able to secure their return, but those were special circumstances, and now all employees will be made aware of the zero tolerance policy during orientation. Please make sure you obtain a copy and familiarize yourself with its content.