BLET NEWS
Mention Agent No 04255 a % of all proceeds will be used for local 126's benefit
BLET, UTU call for enhancement of locomotive safety standards
http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5107
CLEVELAND, March 21 ˜ The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
(BLET) and the United Transportation Union (UTU) called on the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve locomotive cab security and to
establish safety regulations governing the operation of remote control
locomotives in joint comments filed on March 14.
The unions also expressed a number of other safety concerns in response to
the FRA‚s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal
Register on January 12, 2011. The NPRM seeks to update, consolidate and
clarify the existing regulations in 49 C.F.R. Part 229 (Railroad
Locomotive Safety Standards).
„Cab security, establishing climate control regulations and enforceable
remote control safety regulations are issues that impact operating
employees each and every day on the job,‰ BLET National President Dennis
Pierce said. „BLET and UTU remain united and unwavering in our commitment
to the safety and security of our members.‰
UTU International President Mike Futhey added, „Safety regulations with
real teeth in them concerning these issues vital to operating employees
are long overdue. The cooperative effort of UTU and BLET is much more
likely to secure meaningful safety regulations than if we acted separately
because the task before us is just too difficult for either of us to work
independently.‰
LOCOMOTIVE CAB SECURITY
The issue of locomotive cab security is inextricably linked to the issue
of climate control. The lack of air conditioning in hot weather causes the
crew to choose between their safety and their security.
The unions referred to a June 20, 2010, incident in New Orleans when a
conductor was shot to death and the locomotive engineer was also injured
during an armed invasion and robbery in their locomotive cab. The lack of
a secured operating cab enabled that individual to commit that heinous
crime.
„FRA must conclude that a secured operating compartment can only be
accomplished if the doors and windows are closed, locked and sealed.‰
The unions also argued that current glazing standards provide an
insufficient level of protection.
„There is no doubt that there are firearms that could defeat any glazing
that can practicably be installed on locomotives. However, we don‚t
believe that is a legitimate reason to do nothing. If a glazing is
available that can protect operating employees from most of the firearms
available to common criminals, then FRA should require the installation of
such glazing on the locomotives.‰
LOCOMOTIVE CAB TEMPERATURES
Extreme heat has a negative effect on crew member job performance because
it causes fatigue and lethargy, slows reaction time and therefore
diminishes safety. Railroads should not be allowed to subject their
employees and the public to the health and safety issues associated with
prolonged exposure to extreme cold and heat.
„The industry has been able to regulate the temperature in refrigerated or
climate controlled cars to move perishable goods across the country for
decades. . . FRA must reject arguments by the railroads that regulating
the temperature in occupied operating compartments while under expected
operating conditions is not reasonable or possible,‰ the unions wrote.
The unions argued that the rule should require that any newly purchased or
reconstructed locomotive, after the effective date of the rule, should be
capable of maintaining a climate between 60° and 80° Fahrenheit. This
standard should also be true of any locomotive that currently is equipped
with an air conditioner.
REGULATING REMOTE CONTROL LOCOMOTIVES
The FRA has still not issued enforceable regulations governing the
operation of remote control locomotives, and the unions used this
opportunity to urge the FRA to finally do so. The unions also urged FRA to
prohibit the operation of remotes on mainline tracks.
„The manufacturers of the remote control locomotive technology in use
today designed the software and equipment for switching operations, not
main line movements,‰ the unions wrote.
REMOTE CONTROL OPERATOR CONTROL UNITS
Even though the FRA has not issued regulations governing the operation of
remote control locomotives, it is seeking to regulate the devices
themselves. The proposed rules would regulate only the Remote Control Unit
(„RCU‰).
„We contend that certain of the features identified above in the proposed
regulations diminish the safe operation of remote control locomotives,‰
the submission read. „The (Operator Control Unit) itself must be as simple
in design and uncluttered with any function not necessary for safe
operations.‰
REMOTE CONTROL SAFETY STATISTICS
The unions asked that the FRA also develop an improved electronic record
keeping system to maintain accurate records of employee on duty hours in
remote control service.
Under the FRA‚s current record keeping process, it is difficult to
definitively compare the number of employee hours worked in remote control
switching versus conventional switching.
„We believe that for accurate comparisons and tracking of improvements in
switching operations safety, switching hours must be accurately recorded
so that the number of accident, incidents and fatalities can be compared
on an apples-to-apples basis,‰ the unions wrote.
LOCOMOTIVE SEATS
Railroads continue to scrimp on proper seating on new locomotives without
regard for the safety or health of their crews to save a mere $220 on a
$2.2 million locomotive, something that the unions called „shamefully
inconsistent with providing a safe working environment.‰
„Labor is extremely disappointed that FRA chose not to even include the
words Locomotive Seats in this NPRM on Locomotive Safety Standards,‰ they
wrote. „Improper and unsafe seats and seat securements have caused many
injuries and illnesses to operating crews in the past decades, and now is
the time for FRA to accept the scientific facts and offer requirements for
specifications of locomotive seats on occupied locomotives.‰
Labor Day 2011 http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5175 By Dennis R. Pierce BLET National President CLEVELAND, September 2 - Labor Day 2011 finds the BLET and other unions throughout the United States embroiled in a war for our very existence. The opening salvo in the War on Workers was fired in Wisconsin earlier this year, as the state's governor and political extremists hammered through legislation to strip unions of their collective bargaining rights. Similar attacks on unions following in Ohio and other states, where deep-pocketed corporations have used bought-and-paid-for politicians to force their anti-union agendas into law. While this war is far from over, labor has had its share of victories. In Wisconsin, anti-union politicians have been recalled and removed from office. In Ohio, a citizen-led initiative forced the state to place the anti-union legislation on the ballot, where it will hopefully be overturned in November. Public support was overwhelmingly against the measure: 231,000 signatures were needed to put the measure on the ballot, and the citizens collected nearly 1.3 million. The BLET and its members are not immune from these attacks. We are embroiled in a round of national bargaining in which the carriers are trying to increase their record profits by shifting health care costs to our oldest and sickest members, and on the injured. Radical Republicans in the House of Representatives have taken the Federal Aviation Administration hostage in an attempt to impose anti-democratic representation election rules on railroad and airline workers that don't exist anywhere else in America. Efforts to cut Social Security, if successful, will have a direct and negative impact on our Railroad Retirement system. And attacks against Amtrak and the National Mediation Board could be detrimental to our jobs and our retirement. I have said before that union membership is not a spectator sport. That holds true for the War on Workers. In Wisconsin and Ohio, it took the commitment of thousands of union members o fight back against wealthy corporate interests. I remind each and every BLET member of their civic duty - to vote. Become an informed voter and vote for union-friendly candidates and against anti-union measures. The best way to protect our jobs and our future is to fight for legislators and judges who support our agenda and the work that we do. Parallel to your civic duty is your obligation to our Brotherhood - to b informed and to become involved in our battles that will define your family's economic security. On this Labor Day, I ask that you all join me in honoring those who came before us. Let us not forget the struggles they endured so that we can enjoy the quality of life that we have today. And also, I ask you to stand and join me in the fight for our rights and our future. It is our duty on this day to join hands in struggle and do for the next generation of locomotive engineers and trainmen what those whom we honor did for us.
President Pierce: A year of progress http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5157 (Editor's Note: The following message from BLET National President Dennis Pierce appears in the Summer 2011 issue of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Journal. The quarterly magazine is available on the BLET website: http://www.ble-t.org/pr/journal) By Dennis R. Pierce BLET National President One short year ago, I became National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. When I assumed the Presidency, I made several commitments to the membership, and I would like to share with you our progress towards fulfilling those commitments in this edition of the Journal. A year ago, I committed that the officers of the National Division would be visible in the field, meeting with members and officers at all levels. In addition to our attendance at regional meetings, I have attended nearly two dozen Local Division meetings all across the country in the past 12 months. My goal in attending these meetings is to hear directly from the membership on the issues that are important to you, and to share with you the progress on issues we are working on at the National Division. The information that I have garnered from these meetings has been invaluable to the National Division in our everyday activities. I have also been honored to attend five General Committee meetings during the past year: one on BNSF, one on Union Pacific, one on Canadian National (the Wisconsin Central), one on CSX/Conrail Shared Assets and, most recently, the quadrennial meeting of the Canadian Pacific General Committee. Those meetings were also valuable in that the Local Chairmen present were able to better define the specific struggles that they face daily on each property. While the individual details vary from property to property, it is apparent to me that we face many of the same issues on all railroads across the country. Much like the information that we obtained at Local Division meetings, the information that we have gathered at these GCA meetings better prepares the National Division to assist the General Committees throughout our Brotherhood. The Legislative Department of our Union is also very important. In the past 12 months, I have had the pleasure of attending State Legislative Board meetings in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The BLET's presence in the state houses across the country, as well as in Washington, D.C., is more important now than ever, as workers and the organizations that represent them are under attack at every turn. Strong State Legislative Boards are central to that presence, and meeting face-to-face with the officers of the State Boards has helped us to better understand how the National Division can assist in each State's endeavors. In all of the meetings that I have attended, I have maintained a common theme: that we must motivate our membership to become more involved in their Union. I have been joined in this effort by First Vice President Lee Pruitt, National Secretary Treasurer Bill Walpert and the other officers of the Advisory Board. If attendance at union meetings on the part of National Division officers increases participation, then we have made steps towards that goal. As time permits, the officers of the National Division will continue to meet directly with BLET members. One of the other methods that the National Division has focused on in our push for greater membership participation is the increased support and activity of our Mobilization networks. One of the biggest testaments to the power of mobilization came late last year, during our first ever rank and file election of officers. Our Mobilization networks worked hard, leading a non-partisan effort to encourage members to participate and exercise their right to cast a vote. Largely due to those efforts, almost 40% of our membership returned a ballot. This effort was a true grassroots effort where members contacted members, increasing participation in the election process. We continue to expand on our mobilization efforts with Mobilization workshops being conducted at all four Regional Meetings this year. This Brotherhood belongs to the members, and through their participation they make the Union stronger. One of the other commitments that I made when I took office was to push hard for the changes that were needed to strengthen our rules on internal governance. During our Second National Convention last October, several resolutions that I submitted were adopted into Brotherhood law, making our rules more direct and more transparent. My goal is to ensure that all officers and members fully understand the seriousness of knowing and following the rules that have been established, to ensure that every member can be confident that our Union is on the right track and that every dues dollar is spent in an appropriate manner. The new edition of our Bylaws is now being printed, and all of the improvements on internal governance adopted by the Delegates in session will soon be distributed to the field. Consistency in the way we provide representation and assistance is key to keeping the Brotherhood moving in the right direction, and our revised Bylaws are the cornerstone of that consistency. Finally, I committed to the membership when I took office that I would support and expand our Education and Training Department. It is clear that to be a strong Union, we must have strong officers and members. That strength is best established when all involved are provided with the tools that they need to be most effective, and the best way to provide those tools is through regular education and training. Since taking office, I have attended three of our Education and Training classes, one being a Legislative Representative class in Washington, D.C., and the other two being Local Chairmen classes in Silver Spring, Md., and Springfield, Ill. It is important for our officers to know that the National Division supports them as they work to represent our membership, and my attendance at these classes was to reinforce my strong commitment to that end. Although our efforts to be in the field with the members and to encourage member participation have kept us very busy, it has not come at the expense of the day-to-day efforts of the Union. We continue to streamline departments and functions in our Cleveland and D.C. offices, and we work diligently to provide necessary assistance to our General Committees, State Boards, and Local Divisions when the need arises. We face challenges on every front from the carriers and from anti-Union politicians. Beating back those challenges requires that we become a leaner, meaner machine, and we will build on the successes of the past year to refine and strengthen our operations at every level, moving our Union progressively into the future.
BLET, UTU call for enhancement of locomotive safety standards
http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5107
CLEVELAND, March 21 ˜ The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
(BLET) and the United Transportation Union (UTU) called on the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve locomotive cab security and to
establish safety regulations governing the operation of remote control
locomotives in joint comments filed on March 14.
The unions also expressed a number of other safety concerns in response to
the FRA‚s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal
Register on January 12, 2011. The NPRM seeks to update, consolidate and
clarify the existing regulations in 49 C.F.R. Part 229 (Railroad
Locomotive Safety Standards).
„Cab security, establishing climate control regulations and enforceable
remote control safety regulations are issues that impact operating
employees each and every day on the job,‰ BLET National President Dennis
Pierce said. „BLET and UTU remain united and unwavering in our commitment
to the safety and security of our members.‰
UTU International President Mike Futhey added, „Safety regulations with
real teeth in them concerning these issues vital to operating employees
are long overdue. The cooperative effort of UTU and BLET is much more
likely to secure meaningful safety regulations than if we acted separately
because the task before us is just too difficult for either of us to work
independently.‰
LOCOMOTIVE CAB SECURITY
The issue of locomotive cab security is inextricably linked to the issue
of climate control. The lack of air conditioning in hot weather causes the
crew to choose between their safety and their security.
The unions referred to a June 20, 2010, incident in New Orleans when a
conductor was shot to death and the locomotive engineer was also injured
during an armed invasion and robbery in their locomotive cab. The lack of
a secured operating cab enabled that individual to commit that heinous
crime.
„FRA must conclude that a secured operating compartment can only be
accomplished if the doors and windows are closed, locked and sealed.‰
The unions also argued that current glazing standards provide an
insufficient level of protection.
„There is no doubt that there are firearms that could defeat any glazing
that can practicably be installed on locomotives. However, we don‚t
believe that is a legitimate reason to do nothing. If a glazing is
available that can protect operating employees from most of the firearms
available to common criminals, then FRA should require the installation of
such glazing on the locomotives.‰
LOCOMOTIVE CAB TEMPERATURES
Extreme heat has a negative effect on crew member job performance because
it causes fatigue and lethargy, slows reaction time and therefore
diminishes safety. Railroads should not be allowed to subject their
employees and the public to the health and safety issues associated with
prolonged exposure to extreme cold and heat.
„The industry has been able to regulate the temperature in refrigerated or
climate controlled cars to move perishable goods across the country for
decades. . . FRA must reject arguments by the railroads that regulating
the temperature in occupied operating compartments while under expected
operating conditions is not reasonable or possible,‰ the unions wrote.
The unions argued that the rule should require that any newly purchased or
reconstructed locomotive, after the effective date of the rule, should be
capable of maintaining a climate between 60° and 80° Fahrenheit. This
standard should also be true of any locomotive that currently is equipped
with an air conditioner.
REGULATING REMOTE CONTROL LOCOMOTIVES
The FRA has still not issued enforceable regulations governing the
operation of remote control locomotives, and the unions used this
opportunity to urge the FRA to finally do so. The unions also urged FRA to
prohibit the operation of remotes on mainline tracks.
„The manufacturers of the remote control locomotive technology in use
today designed the software and equipment for switching operations, not
main line movements,‰ the unions wrote.
REMOTE CONTROL OPERATOR CONTROL UNITS
Even though the FRA has not issued regulations governing the operation of
remote control locomotives, it is seeking to regulate the devices
themselves. The proposed rules would regulate only the Remote Control Unit
(„RCU‰).
„We contend that certain of the features identified above in the proposed
regulations diminish the safe operation of remote control locomotives,‰
the submission read. „The (Operator Control Unit) itself must be as simple
in design and uncluttered with any function not necessary for safe
operations.‰
REMOTE CONTROL SAFETY STATISTICS
The unions asked that the FRA also develop an improved electronic record
keeping system to maintain accurate records of employee on duty hours in
remote control service.
Under the FRA‚s current record keeping process, it is difficult to
definitively compare the number of employee hours worked in remote control
switching versus conventional switching.
„We believe that for accurate comparisons and tracking of improvements in
switching operations safety, switching hours must be accurately recorded
so that the number of accident, incidents and fatalities can be compared
on an apples-to-apples basis,‰ the unions wrote.
LOCOMOTIVE SEATS
Railroads continue to scrimp on proper seating on new locomotives without
regard for the safety or health of their crews to save a mere $220 on a
$2.2 million locomotive, something that the unions called „shamefully
inconsistent with providing a safe working environment.‰
„Labor is extremely disappointed that FRA chose not to even include the
words Locomotive Seats in this NPRM on Locomotive Safety Standards,‰ they
wrote. „Improper and unsafe seats and seat securements have caused many
injuries and illnesses to operating crews in the past decades, and now is
the time for FRA to accept the scientific facts and offer requirements for
specifications of locomotive seats on occupied locomotives.‰
Hearing on Federal Regulatory Overreach in the Railroad Industry & Implementation of the Rail Safety Improvement Act
March 16, 2011
Washington, DC – The Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, chaired by U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), will conduct a hearing on Thursday on the implementation of 2008 rail safety provisions under the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA), the impacts on the industry of mandates enacted under that legislation, and the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) overreach in developing regulations to carry out the legislation.
The RSIA became law in the aftermath of a fatal commuter rail accident in northern Los Angeles in September 2008. As set forth in the law, the FRA conducted a rulemaking requiring passenger railroads and some freight rail lines to install positive train control (PTC) systems by the end of 2015, which would automatically stop or slow a train before an accident that would have otherwise occurred due to human error. However, there are concerns in the rail community and Congress that the FRA regulation went beyond the scope of the law in implementing the mandate.
More background information on Thursday’s hearing can be accessed here.
WHAT: Hearing of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), Chairman: “Federal Regulatory Overreach in the Railroad Industry: Implementing the Rail Safety Improvement Act”
WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Thursday, March 17, 2011
WHERE: 2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
A live webcast of this hearing will be available at: http://transportation.house.gov
WITNESSES:
• Rep. Elton Gallegly (California’s 24th District)
• Ms. Mackenzie Souser, Camarillo, California
• Ms. Jo Strang, Associate Administrator, Office of Safety, Federal Railroad Administration
• Mr. Mark Manion, Executive Vice President & CEO, Norfolk Southern Corporation
• Mr. Ed Hamberger, CEO and President, Association of American Railroads
• Mr. Joseph J. Giulietti, Executive Director, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
• Mr. Paul Victor, President, Anacostia & Pacific Railroad Company, Inc.
• Mr. Dennis R. Pierce, National President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen
CLEVELAND, March 16 — BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce will testify for improved safety standards for BLET members before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials at a hearing scheduled for tomorrow. Pierce, who also is President of the Teamsters Rail Conference, will inform Members of the Subcommittee, which is a part of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, about problems in the implementation of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The formal title of the hearing is “Federal Regulatory Overreach in the Railroad Industry: Implementing the Rail Safety Improvement Act.” Among those also invited to testify are: Representative Elton Gallegly (California 24th District); Jo Strang, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer for the Federal Railroad Administration; Mark Manion, Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer for Norfolk Southern; Edward Hamberger, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Association of American Railroads; Joseph J. Giulietti, Executive Director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority; and Paul Victor, President of the Anacostia & Pacific Railroad. A live, streaming broadcast of the hearing can be viewed online via http://transportation.house.gov.
CLEVELAND, January 4 — On January 1, 2011,
a new Advisory Board began its
four year term of
office for the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers
and Trainmen. National Division
President Dennis
Pierce installed the new Advisory
Board; and as part
of that process, all Advisory
Board Officers took the following International Brotherhood
of Teamsters
Oath of Office. “I, __________________, do sincerely promise,
upon my honor as a trade unionist and a Teamster,
that I will faithfully use all of my energies and
abilities to perform the duties of my office, for the
ensuing term, as prescribed by the Constitution and
Bylaws of this Union. As an officer of this great Union,
I will, at all times, act solely in the interests of
the members, devote the resources of our Union to
furthering their needs and goals, work to maintain a union that is free of
corruption, to preserve and strengthen democratic
principles in our Union, and to protect the members’
interests in all dealings with employers. I will
never forget that it is the members who put me
here, and it is the members whom I will serve.
I further promise that I will faithfully comply with and enforce
the Constitution and laws of the International
Union and Bylaws of this Union, that I will, at
all times, by example, promote harmony and
preserve the dignity of this Union. I also promise
that at the close of my official term, I will
promptly deliver any money or property of this
Union in my possession to my successor in office.” The installation of the new Advisory Board
completes the BLET’s first ever rank and file
election of National Division Officers. As the
first National President to be elected by the
rank and file membership in the BLET’s 147 year
history, National President Pierce took particular
pride in the part of the Oath that states, “I will never
forget that it is the members who put me here,
and it is the members whom I will serve.” The Advisory Board is composed of the 11 highest-
ranking elected officers in the Organization, and
is the chief policy making body of the BLET
between conventions. The Board has the
authority to make decisions and perform duties on
behalf of the National Division that are not in
conflict with or otherwise provided for in the IBT Constitution
, the Rail Conference Bylaws, or the BLET Bylaws. In addition to President Pierce, the BLET Advisory
Board members include: First Vice President
E. “Lee” Pruitt; National Secretary-Treasurer
William C. Walpert; Vice President & National
Legislative Representative John Tolman; Vice
President & Arbitration Director Marcus Ruef;
Vice President Mike Twombly; Vice President Willard Knight;
Vice President Gil Gore; Vice President
Steve Bruno; Vice President Cole Davis;
and Vice President
Mike Priester. President Pierce said, “I want to again offer
my thanks to all members who took the time
to vote in our recent election. There is no
doubt that there is much work to be done. I
am confident that the members through their
actions have assembled an Advisory Board that
is dedicated to the task at hand, that being working in the best
interests of the membership. The democratic
process has served its purpose and our mission
now is to unite all members in our common cause
as we move forward.”
Railroad retirement tax reduced for 2011
http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5062 CLEVELAND, December 21 — Among the items included in the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010,which was signed into law by President Obama on December 17, is a temporary employee payroll tax cut. This provision, found in Section 601 of the legislation, reduces the employee Social Security tax rate from 6.2% to 4.2% for 2011 earnings subject to the tax, which will be levied on the first $106,800 of earnings next year. Because Railroad Retirement Tier 1 taxes and annuities are based on Social Security, the Tier 1 tax rate for railroad workers will be cut by the same amount, meaning that take-home pay for railroad workers will be increased by 2% of gross earnings next year, up to the cap. The shortfall in funding for Tier 1 benefits created by this tax cut will be made up from general federal revenues, pursuant to Section 601(e)(2) of the legislation, which states as follows: “There are hereby appropriated to the Social Security Equivalent Benefit Account established under section 15A(a) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231n–1(a)) amounts equal to the reduction in revenues to the Treasury by reason of the application of subsection (a)(2). Amounts appropriated by the preceding sentence shall be transferred from the general fund at such times and in such manner as to replicate to the extent possible the transfers which would have occurred to such Account had such amendments not been enacted.” BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce expressed concern about how the Congress decided to make up the shortfall. “Since its inception Railroad Retirement has been successfully defended from Congressional attack, in part, because all Railroad Retirement funds have historically been contributed by railroad workers and railroad employers only, with no non-railroad taxpayer money being used to fund our retirement system” Pierce said. “That complete funding independence has been broken by enactment of this law.” “While every BLET member benefits from a two percent increase
in take-home pay, what is happening here is that this money
is not coming from the carriers’ record profits. Instead, 2%
of our own money that is designated for our retirement is being
given to us now, and essentially is being paid for by American
taxpayers,” Pierce added. “There are powerful forces who would
like nothing better than to destroy Railroad Retirement and
Social Security, and I am concerned that this ‘tax cut’ may
make their goal easier to achieve.”
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is a Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). Its predecessor union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, was the senior national labor organization in the United States and also North America's oldest rail labor union. The BLE marked its 140th anniversary in 2003 and was founded in Marshall, Mich. on May 8, 1863, as The Brotherhood of the Footboard; a year later, its name was changed to The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The BLE merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and became the BLET on January 1, 2004.
MISSION STATEMENT: "The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen exists to promote and protect the rights, interests, and safety of its members through solidarity, aggressive representation, and education." From BLET National Division Rules, 2004.
MEMBERSHIP: The BLET represents Locomotive Engineers, Conductors, Brakemen, Firemen, Switchmen, Hostlers and other Train Service Employees on numerous railroads in the United States. The BLET's total membership is more than 59,000 and growing, in spite of industry consolidation. Since Jan. 1, 1992, Locomotive Engineers must be trained and tested to be federally certified and licensed to operate trains.
AFFILIATIONS: The BLET is the founding member of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: Local units of the BLET are known as Divisions. Each Division elects four primary local officers - President, Local Chairman, Secretary-Treasurer and Legislative Representative - each serving three-year terms. The BLET is comprised of more than 600 Divisions.
All the local chairmen on a particular railroad constitute the BLET General Committee of Adjustment on that system; this General Committee is autonomous and responsible for negotiating, making, interpreting and enforcing contracts between engineers and their railroad. Larger railroad systems may have more than one General Committee and General Chairman.
All the legislative representatives for divisions within a state comprise the State Legislative Board. These legislative boards are responsible for educating legislators, policy makers and the public about the impacts of regulations and laws on transportation and public safety.
At the National Division, officers include the President, First Vice-President, National Secretary-Treasurer and eight "regional" vice-presidents, who assist and offer resources to General Committees. National Division officers are elected to four-year terms.
One vice-president serves as the BLET's National Legislative Representative, administering the Washington D.C. office and coordinating federal activities of the BLET, and its various state legislative boards.
The BLET is governed by its Bylaws. Policies are set and officers elected at conventions every four years. Convention delegates are elected by local BLET Division members.
HEADQUARTER OFFICES: The BLET National Division is located at: Standard Building, 1370 Ontario St., Mezzanine, Cleveland, OH 44113-1702 (built and owned by the BLET). The National Legislative Office is located in IBT Headquarters in Washington D.C.