BLET News
BLET Western Regional Meeting in New Orleans begins next week
We will be reporting to you next week from New Orleans, the site of the BLET’s Western Regional Meeting. Last-minute registrations for meals and events will be accepted online or in person at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside as late as Tuesday morning, July 14. Open...
The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition asks STB to tell UP and NS to disclose numbers on how their proposed merger will affect workers
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific appear to have purposefully left out critical information on the affect that the proposed merger would have on workers – if approved. Instead of listing the information publicly as they did in their past two applications, they...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with South Buffalo Railway
Ballots were mailed last week to BLET members for voting on a tentative agreement with the South Buffalo Railway Company (SBRR). If ratified by the members, the tentative contract would provide significant economic and quality-of-life enhancements. The TA governs...
America 250 and BLET 163: Contributions of American locomotive engineers, both at home and on the battlefield, led to victory during World War II
American railroads and railroad workers proved vital to the Allied victory during World War II, both at home and abroad. At home, U.S. railroads — with BLET members at the throttle — carried 90 percent of all military freight and 97 percent of all military passenger...
BLET members ratify historic first agreement with Watco
Railroad workers at Watco, who joined the BLET to gain collective bargaining rights, have overwhelmingly ratified their first-ever contract. This marks a significant milestone for BLET-represented employees at the formerly non-union railroad. Prior to selecting BLET...
BLET members unanimously ratify agreement with Keolis/VRE
BLET members last week unanimously ratified a new six-year contract with Keolis/Virginia Railway Express (VRE). The agreement runs from July 1, 2026, through June 29, 2031 and provides a strong wage package along with meaningful quality of life improvements. Amtrak...
New benefit year began July 1 for RRB unemployment and sickness benefits
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), which provides qualified railroad workers with unemployment benefits when they become unemployed but are ready, willing, and able to work, and sickness benefits when they...
Make your reservations now for BLET Eastern Regional Meeting
With the deadline for room reservations just under a month away, BLET members and guests are encouraged to register now for the BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Chicago. The deadline for room reservations is July 24, and the meeting will take place August 24-28 at...
America 250 and BLET 163: BLET a pioneer for safety and societal reforms
Editor’s Note: As America approaches its 250th birthday this year, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is marking its 163rd anniversary. In recognition of these historic milestones, BLET, the oldest labor union in North America, is examining...
Ohio Governor signs bill to create memorial honoring fallen BLET member Lou Shuster
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law a bill last week that creates a lasting memorial in honor of fallen BLET member Lou Shuster. Senate Bill 52 designates the interchange between I-480 and 150th Street in Cleveland as the SPC Louis P. Shuster Memorial...
BLET sharply critical of alarming comments made by UP CEO
The BLET continues to keep a close eye on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, and whenever necessary, shine a public spotlight on risks associated with the merger. BLET has staunchly opposed the merger as it could harm workers, shippers, and the...
President Wallace highlights rail labor solidarity at BMWED’s Sixth Quadrennial Convention
Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) concluded their Sixth Quadrennial National Division Convention in Chicago last week. Along with BLET, the BMWED is a member of the Teamsters Rail Conference. Delegates from more than 350 local...
Replacement ballots now available in BLET contract votes at Watco, VRE
BLET members are in the midst of voting on two tentative agreements, one with Watco and the other with Keolis/Virginia Railway Express (VRE). Eligible members who have not yet received a ballot should call the BLET National Division’s dedicated voicemail line to have...
Workers at Northern Ohio & Western Railway say yes to BLET
Operating employees at the Northern Ohio & Western Railway (NOW) voted to join the BLET in an election certified by the National Mediation Board on June 16. It marks the union’s 16th short line organizing win since 2023. NOW is an OmniTRAX-owned short line that...
America 250 and BLET 163: Early corporate greed in the Gilded Age led to economic, rail reforms
The growth and financial success of early railroads in America were a key element of what has become known as the “Gilded Age,” a time of economic change and extreme income inequality. Railroad robber barons like Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould accumulated massive...
A look back at the Teamsters 31st International Convention
BLET Editor's Note: The stories that follow highlight the contributions of the BLET and Rail Conference during the Teamsters International Convention held last week in Las Vegas. Pictured above are BLET members who were in attendance. All photos courtesy of the...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with Keolis/VRE
BLET has reached a tentative agreement with Keolis for members who work as locomotive engineers for the Virginia Railway Express (VRE). Ballots were mailed June 12. If ratified by the members, the agreement would provide a strong wage package along with meaningful...
Tentative agreement a significant first for BLET members at Watco
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with Watco, a significant milestone for members who voted to join BLET in February 2025. It would represent the first-ever union agreement for BLET members at the short line operator. If ratified by the members, the tentative...
Safety Task Force investigating after NS derailment causes ethanol spill and fire in Tennessee
The BLET Safety Task Force has received Party Status from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to assist with the investigation into a Norfolk Southern derailment that occurred in Tennessee last week. According to media reports, 23 cars of a mixed freight...
BLET members ratify new contract with NIRCRC for Metra locomotive engineers
BLET members on June 19 ratified a new seven-year agreement with the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (NIRCRC/Metra). The deal covers about 250 BLET members who work as locomotive engineers for Metra and provides compounded general wage...
Daily Headlines
House bill would block Mexican rail crews from operating trains into U.S.
Mark Wallace, president of the Teamsters Rail Conference and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said the bill addresses “a critically important issue. … In repeated visits to the southern border, I heard one consistent message from BLET members: railroad jobs in America should be done by Americans.”
BNSF reports Q4, full year 2025 results
For full-year 2025, BNSF reported total revenue of $23.4 billion, about the same as the previous year, and net income of $5.5 billion, up 9%.
Second PEB finds for unions in dispute with LIRR
A second Presidential Emergency Board has sided with a coalition of unions in their ongoing contract dispute with the Long Island Rail Road — but the LIRR rejected the board’s recommendation, setting the stage for a strike or lockout in May.
CN announces Q4, full-year 2025 results
CN reported revenues of C$4,464 million and operating income of C$1,733 million.
Norfolk Southern reports Q4, full-year 2025 results
For the fourth quarter of 2025, NS reported revenue of $3.0 billion and income from railway operations of $937 million.
CPKC reports Q4, full-year 2025 results
CPKC announced its fourth-quarter 2025 revenues of $3.9 billion.
Union Pacific reports Q4, full-year 2025 results
UP reported 2025 fourth quarter net income of $1.8 billion
CSX announces Q4, full-year 2025 results
CSX Corp. announced fourth quarter 2025 operating income of $1.11 billion and net earnings of $720 million.
Railroads thwart safety fixes, costing lives
Fatigue-related accidents killed at least nine people and injured over 300 from 2015 through 2024, the Howard Center’s analysis of NTSB investigation reports found.
Associated Press: BLET, BMWED oppose UP-NS merger
“This proposed monopoly will end up costing businesses more and those costs will be passed on to consumers,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said.
