Operation Red Block of Central Florida

03/10/2023

A good few weeks of Operation Red Block blitz
Yeoman, Bradenton, Lakeland….. next is Sanford

05/23/2022

Hope this finds you well.
We wanted to share a couple of flyers that may be helpful in today's world. We would encourage you to share this with your local chairman and ask them to share with their members but then we also ask that you post in your terminal.
The reasoning behind us sharing these flyers with you is because over the past few months we have noticed more and more issues concerning, marital, financial, and mental health issues. What we are noticing is if an individual doesn't deal with these issues in healthy ways, they normally deal with them in unhealthy ways, some of these ways are showing up as DUI's, Rule G violations, attendance issues and etc.

We are also noticing these issues are not only showing up in our coworkers but also with their respective spouses and children. As you know, the EAP can help an individual with a litany of issues, but they can also offer services to those on their insurance plan as well.

We would encourage you if you don't already have the EAP number in your phone, please put it in there. That way, when someone seems like they could use a little more help that what you may be able to provide, you can give them the number for the EAP.

Operation RedBlock

03/21/2022

When a crewmember submits an employee’s name to the Operation RedBlock team member, does this relieve him or her of the responsibility to comply with Rule 104?
No. The purpose of Operation RedBlock is to prevent problems before they happen on the job. All employees should refuse to work with an impaired co-worker, or they should involve the supervisor through the Co-worker Bypass Agreement.

10. What is a Rule G Bypass?
An employee who has been charged with a violation of Rule 106 (Rule G), with no other rules violation associated with that charge, will be given an option to either stand before a Board Hearing or enroll in the Employee Assistance Program. If the employee elects to participate in an EAP-guided program, upon successful completion of all EAP directives and having no positive tests during the f ive-year time period, the Rule 106 (Rule G) charge against the employee will be dismissed.

11. How many times is an employee eligible for a Rule G Bypass?
Once in a five-year period.

12. Is Operation RedBlock a system-wide program?
Yes, all locations are covered under the umbrella of Operation RedBlock. All crafts are offered the same education under the program.

13. How does the Operation RedBlock team work with a counselor? Referring those who need help and always in the strictest confidence.

14. Does the company hold a Rule G Bypass option against an employee and keep it on his or her record?
No, but for a period of five years the Rule 106 (Rule G) charge is held in abeyance. If at the end of the five-year period there are no additional incidents, the Rule 106 (Rule G) charge is dropped and removed from the employee’s record.

15. If an employee refers someone to Operation RedBlock, will that person know, or be able to find out, who referred them?
Again, the answer is no. Everything about the program is completely confidential.

16. Who ultimately decides when an employee can return to work after an Operation RedBlock mark-off?
When an employee is marked-off ORB, that individual will remain off until the set amount of time for a sick mark-off to expire or over a period of time not less than 12 hours. The amount of time was decided through agreements between labor organizations and CSX.

17. Do local team members go to company officials with confidential Operation RedBlock information?
No, local team members handle all Operation RedBlock situations within the guidelines set by the ORB program.

18. Do the unions and CSX agree on the importance of Operation RedBlock?
Operation RedBlock is valued equally by labor and management as an important part of a safe workplace, providing those in need with the opportunity to make safe decisions or to receive help as needed.

19. Why has Operation RedBlock continued for this long?
Because labor-management initiatives can work well, especially when it comes to employee safety in the workplace. Operation RedBlock’s approach has the best chance for success.

20. How successful has Operation RedBlock been?
The success of this program cannot be measured by numbers from any category. The success of the program is in the trust employees have in using Operation RedBlock for its intended purpose. A drug and alcohol free workplace mutually benefits the company, its employees, and members of the public.

03/21/2022

What is Operation RedBlock, who sponsors it and why?
Operation RedBlock (ORB) is a union-initiated, management-supported drug and alcohol prevention and intervention program.
It uses peer involvement to prevent employee use of alcohol and/or drugs when on duty or subject to call. Operation RedBlock is your program, and it works by taking a strong stand against alcohol and drug use by fellow workers. If someone you work with appears to be under the influence, don’t ignore it. Doing so not only enables them to continue to endanger lives, it also places your personal safety and livelihood in jeopardy.

2. How are concerns about fellow employees handled?
All concerns are handled within the union framework through a Prevention Team that approaches the individual, counsels the person on the policy, and offers help through established programs.

3. What is the Co-worker Bypass Agreement? This agreement allows an employee to call on a line supervisor’s help in dealing with a coworker who is on duty. Under this agreement, the supervisor assists in getting the impaired worker home. The supervisor will not make any Rule G charge, provided the employee contacts the EAP Counselor within five days.

4. How is a Co-worker Bypass handled?
The employee is marked-off “SIC,” as with any other Operation RedBlock procedure. The employee must follow the guidelines and contact the EAP Counselor within five days. To return to duty, the employee must follow all recommendations that the EAP Counselor suggests. Each employee has only one time in a career that a Co-worker Bypass may be used.

5. How are prescription drugs covered under Rule 106?
Most prescription medications can be taken without issue. A valid prescription needs to be in the employee’s name, in date, and taken in the prescribed dosage. However, it comes down to personal responsibility. If a medication adversely affects your alertness, coordination, reaction, response or safety, you may be in violation of Rule 106.

6. Are any records kept or information passed on to anyone?

The Operation RedBlock System Coordinators keep the records of all ORB calls. No one else has access to this list. It is important to note that at any point during the ORB mark-off process, a referral to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) may be warranted.

7. How are prevention team members selected and how many are there? Any ATDA, NCFO, BLET, SMART or BMWE member can volunteer their time to serve on a prevention team. An individual wishing to volunteer should contact an ORB member. Currently, more than 3,000 operating employees at CSX are trained as prevention committee volunteers.

8. Explain Rule 104 Employees must report any violation of the operating rules to an officer if they observe any physical condition that could imperil the safety of trains, passengers, or employees. Any employee who elects to work with a co-worker who is drinking while on duty can be charged with a violation of this rule.

07/21/2021

Every CSXT employee should know this...

What is CBD and is it safe to take at CSXT?
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical in the Cannabis sativa plant, also known as cannabis or h**p. There are over 80 chemicals known as cannabinoids that have been found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol – also known as THC (THC-is a banned substance by the FRA and CSX) is the most famous ingredient in cannabis.
Is it safe to take a CBD product at CSX?
Even though CBD products are readily available to purchase, the FDA does not regulate most of them, that means anything, and everything can be in that product, and no one is really questioning it. The product could even be labeled as “THC free” and there is still a chance you could fail a drug test because of it.
Operation RedBlock recommends NOT using any CBD product.

07/21/2021

Don’t get caught flat footed!

BLET NEWS FLASH

DOT clarifies ma*****na testing rule
https://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=11302
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, February 19 - Please read the below notice from DOT
regarding Cannabidiol (CBD), a naturally occurring substance found in cannabis derived
from the h**p plant. The notice also can be accessed as a PDF file via the link at the end
of this News Flash.
CBD promises all kinds of health benefits from anti-inflammatory effects, to pain relief, to help with insomnia. These claims have not been approved by the FDA but, more importantly, CBD can contain levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC discovered in
a provided sample will cause a person's drug screen to render a positive result for ma*****na use.
This is a caution from DOT. Please read it carefully. DOT does not consider CBD use as a "legitimate medical reason for a laboratory confirmed ma*****na positive result."
There are countless products on the market that contain CBD. CBD products are widely available and are sold in grocery stores, newsstands, airports and convenience stores.
Please use caution before you consider any use of CBD. The Compliance Notice from DOT says all you need to know regarding CBD and how it relates to drug and alcohol testing under 49 C.F.R. Parts 40 and 219. Following the notice will be the best way for you to avoid inadvertently testing positive for ma*****na use due to CBD use.
DOT OFFICE OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY AND COMPLIANCE NOTICE
The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334, (Farm Bill) removed h**p from the definition of ma*****na under the Controlled Substances Act. Under the Farm Bill, h**p-derived products containing a concentration of up to 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are not controlled substances. THC is the primary psychoactive component of ma*****na. Any product, including "Cannabidiol" (CBD) products, with a concentration of more than 0.3% THC remains classified as ma*****na, a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
We have had inquiries about whether the Department of Transportation-regulated safety-sensitive employees can use CBD products. Safety-sensitive employees who are subject to drug testing specified under 49 CFR part 40 (Part 40) include: pilots, school
bus drivers, truck drivers, train engineers, transit vehicle operators, aircraft maintenance personnel, fire-armed transit security personnel, ship captains, and pipeline emergency response personnel, among others.

It is important for all employers and safety-sensitive employees to know:
1. The Department of Transportation requires testing for ma*****na and not CBD.
2. The labeling of many CBD products may be misleading because the products could contain higher levels of THC than what the product label states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently certify the levels of THC in CBD products, so there is no Federal oversight to ensure that the labels are accurate. The FDA has cautioned the public that: "Consumers should beware purchasing and using any [CBD] products." The FDA has stated: "It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement."* Also, the FDA has issued several warning letters to companies because their products contained more CBD than indicated on the product label. **[i]
3. The Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulation, Part 40, does not authorize the use of Schedule I drugs, including ma*****na, for any reason. Furthermore, CBD use is not a legitimate medical explanation for a laboratory- confirmed ma*****na positive result. Therefore, Medical Review Officers will verify a drug test confirmed at the appropriate cutoffs as positive, even if an employee claims they only used a CBD product.
It remains unacceptable for any safety-sensitive employee subject to the Department of Transportation's drug testing regulations to use ma*****na. Since the use of CBD products could lead to a positive drug test result, Department of Transportation- regulated safety-sensitive employees should exercise caution when considering whether to use CBD products.
The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. This policy and compliance notice is not legally binding in its own right and will not be relied upon by
the Department as a separate basis for affirmative enforcement action or other administrative penalty. Conformity with this policy and compliance notice is voluntary only and nonconformity will not affect rights and obligations under existing statutes and regulations. Safety-sensitive employees must continue to comply with the underlying regulatory requirements for drug testing, specified at 49 CFR part 40.
February 18,

Please read the below notice from DOT regarding Cannabidiol (CBD), a naturally occurring substance found in cannabis derived from the h**p plant. The notice also can be accessed as a PDF file via the link at the end of this News Flash.

04/24/2021

Check your prescription medication, if the date is over one year, they are expired and you should consider getting a new prescription or properly dispose of any out of date medications. NEVER take prescription medication that are NOT prescribed to you! Please refer to restricted medications on the employee gateway.

04/02/2021

April is Alcohol and Drug awareness Month.

03/20/2021

A shy lung is when a person cannot produce enough air after three attempts to register on the machine during a breathalyzer test. Remember you will be given three opportunities to produce a reading.

A shy bladder is when a person cannot produce enough urine in the three-hour window during the urinalysis part of the test. Remember you will only be given three hours. The clock starts after the first attempt.

With both the shy lung and the shy bladder, you will still be allowed to work but the medical department will require you to see a specialist to determine if there is a medical reason why you could not produce. If there is no medical reason found, you will be charged with a refusal and that means you would be dismissed for at least 9 months, if not permanently.

03/20/2021

When Can you mark off yourself or a co-worker Operation RedBlock?

- Accepting the call to come to work – YES
- During a Job briefing – YES

- Switching in the yard for 5 hours – YES

- Picking up or setting off on the line of road – YES

- After a derailment and before they are going to do a drug test because of the derailment - NO

- Pulling into the away from home terminal – YES

- At the away from home hotel – YES

- After being notified of a drug test by manager - NO

02/17/2021

Over the past few months we have had individuals after being notified of a test decided it would be better to just leave the property and go back home or try to mark off Operation RedBlock at that point. As you know, once you are notified of a drug and alcohol test you can no longer mark off ORB.

What we have also noticed over the past few years is, if you refuse a drug test or leave the testing site after being notified of a test. CSX (labor relations) will charge you with a dismissal and in most cases are not offering a rule g bypass. This means you will be dismissed and more than likely won't ever come back unless the arbitrator rules in your favor (which is rare.)

We have been telling individuals you would be better off to fail the drug test than to just refuse the drug test. The reason this is, if you fail the drug test and have no other rule g violations within 60 months of continuous service before this incident. CSX will offer a rule g bypass. This is what allows a person to return to work after a rule g violation.

Now saying all that, you know we would much rather a person mark off Operation RedBlock at home, if they do that then worrying about a drug test isn't a issue but as you knw we don't live in a perfect world and things happen... Don't refuse a drug test and mark off ORB before being notified...

02/17/2021

What you need to know about the away from Home Terminal:
Rule 106 (G)

• Employees reporting for duty, on duty, on CSX property, or occupying facilities provided by
CSX are prohibited from having in their possession, using, or being under the influence of alcoholic beverages or intoxicants.
• Employees shall neither report for duty nor perform service while under the influence of, nor use while on duty or on CSX property, any drug, medication, or other substance, including prescribed medication that will in any way adversely affect the employees’ alertness, coordination, reaction, response, or safety.
• The illegal use and/or possession of a drug, narcotic, or other substance that affects alertness, coordination, reaction, response, or safety is prohibited while on or off duty.
Please Remember:
If you are checked in to the hotel by your CLC card, or other railroad provided payment, you are considered on CSX property. Please note that Rule 106 (G) is extremely broad, and includes all forms of intoxicants, including prescribed medication. CSX employees are subject to Rule 106 (G) charges while on or off duty, provided that they are on company property, and are subject to the same penalties.
The Operation RedBlock mark-off is permitted at the away from home terminal.
Please mark yourself and/or your co-worker off Operation RedBlock if you can’t pass a D&A test...