UTU Cover Letter to Study Participants

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M. B. FUTHEY JR. International President

ARTHUR MARTIN III Assistant President

KIM N. THOMPSON

General Secretary and Treasurer

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transportation

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304 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, S.E.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20003-1147
(202) 543-7714
FAX: (202) 543-0015
E-MAIL: [email protected]

JAMES A. STEM JR. WASHINGTON OFFICE

National Legislative Director NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

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Dear Sister or Brother:

As you may know, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 has charged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) with the responsibility for promulgating regulations to govern the hours of service for operating crews working in intercity passenger and commuter service. In order to create an objective and scientifically-based hours of service regulation, the FRA, with the full cooperation of the United Transportation Union (UTU) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), is conducting a fatigue study that focuses on intercity passenger and commuter operating crews. You have been randomly selected to participate in this very important scientific study. The results of the study will provide a clearer picture of work schedules and sleep patterns of intercity passenger and commuter operating crews. The study will also provide the statistical basis necessary to identify areas for improvements and fatigue mitigation.

You are among a group of randomly selected UTU members working in intercity passenger and commuter service that are being asked to fill out work/sleep diaries for a two-week period. Your participation in this study involves: (1) completing a brief background survey; and (2) keeping a daily log for 14 consecutive days of your sleep and work times along with self-assessments of your level of alertness five times per day.

To insure that your personal information is completely confidential, the FRA has engaged the services of QinetiQ for executing the study. The names and personal information of the participants will be completely confidential, and the data gathered will only be used to compile the information as a group. After the study's conclusion, all the personal data gathered will be destroyed and only the compiled information will be distributed.

Completing the background survey should take less than 15 minutes; making entries in the daily log should require no more than a total of 10 minutes per day. As a reward for your participation in this study, you will receive a $75 gift certificate to either Home Depot or Sears, in addition to helping improve your lifestyle. You must provide 14 consecutive days of data and a completed background survey to receive the gift certificate.

The purpose of the study is to develop a better understanding of the work/rest schedules and sleep patterns of intercity passenger and commuter operating crews and to evaluate the relationship between these schedules and fatigue. Your participation is critical to the success of this study. The data will allow us to identify any fatigue­related problems specific to our crafts. Once we have the data, we will be able to work toward creating an hours of service regulation that reduces the risk of fatigue-related accidents and incidents and improves the quality of life for our members.

Please read the enclosed instructions carefully before beginning your data collection. Thank you for your participation in this important research study.

Fraternally yours,

` M. B. Futhey, Jr.

International President