Roundup: Unions, Illegal Passing and the Alaskan Iditarod

March 16, 2012

The National School Transportation Association reported that a Federal District Court decision was handed down in favor of a National Labor Relations Board rule requiring approximately 6 million workplaces covered by the National Labor Relations Act to post notices that opponents say amount to advertisements to join a union.

The District Court of District Columbia issued its March 1 ruling on a challenge to the NLRB’s rule by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW), to which NSTA belongs. The NLRB rule is scheduled to go into effect on April 30, and while the court ruling means the NLRB could not automatically impose sanctions on companies that fail to post the notice, “the agency could impose sanctions on a case-by-case basis,” according to CDW, which added that it believes the NLRB lacks the authority to require the notice or impose any penalties and will appeal the ruling.

NSTA added that employers that fail to post the notice would be subject to unfair labor practice charges.

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The Senate this week passed the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century” (MAP21) bill, which the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) called “a critical step forward for the nation to help advance commercial motor vehicle safety.” The bill provides for federal funding of state safety and enforcement programs advocated by CVSA.

Meanwhile, the National Biodiesel Board was not so happy with the Senate, which also voted down two amendments that would have extended the biodiesel tax incentive through the end of the year.

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Today in Iowa, the governor signed Kadyn’s Law, which increases the fines and penalties to those who fail to obey school bus warnings when the bus is stopped and students are boarding on and off the bus. Fines aside, a driver who causes an injury or death as a result of failing to obey school bus warnings could have their license suspended for 90 to 180 days. The bill also requires school buses be equipped with cameras to record violations as well as a study on school bus safety.

Kadyn Halverson was a seven-year-old who was killed when she tried to cross the road to get on a school bus. The driver who hit and killed her is now serving time in jail. Kadyn’s mother Kari is happy to have this bill become law and must feel relieved to a certain point. Nothing — not even the toughest bill — can take the pain away from the loss of a child.

Also today, in Belgium, the country held a national day of mourning remembering the 22 children and six adults who died in the horrific motorcoach accident Wednesday in the Swiss Alps. Meanwhile, Swiss authorities investigate whether the design of the tunnel contributed to the accident.

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A new study released this week by the nonprofit group Keystone Research Center concluded that more taxpayer money is used when school districts contract out than when they keep operations in-house. The study focused on what is happening in Pennsylvania and claimed that it costs hundreds of thousands more in taxpayer dollars when districts contract out. Rather than the state reimburse more money to districts that contract out, the authors of the study say tax dollars should instead go to improve the quality of children’s education. What is certain is there exists more than one perspective on this issue.

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And finally, a musher sponsored by J.J. Keller & Associates became the youngest ever to win the Iditarod Alaskan sled dog race earlier this week. Dallas Seavey, 25, represented the company, which specializes in risk and regulatory management for various companies including transportation fleets, as he and his sled dogs crossed the finish line of the 40^th annual race in nine days, four hours, 29 minutes and 26 seconds.

“I trained hard and had a veteran team that took me to the championship. You need to plan and think like a champion, and you can fulfill your dreams,” said Seavey.

This was not the first record that Seavey has broken. In 2005, he became the youngest musher to compete at age 18 and four years later became the youngest musher to finish in the top 10. Last year, he also became the youngest to finish in the top five.