BLET News
A message to BLET members: Vena’s “gold standard” looks like fool’s gold
By Mark L. Wallace BLET National President and Teamsters Rail Conference President Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena seems perplexed that unions are fighting for their members. During UP’s October 22 earnings call, he questioned BLET’s opposition to the proposed UP-NS...
BLET honors retiring National Vice President Rick Gibbons
BLET National Vice President Rick Gibbons was recognized in an emotional farewell presentation last week during BLET’s Sixth National Convention. Gibbons, the longest serving member of the Advisory Board, announced that he will be retiring at the end of this year. He...
BLET honors retiring National Vice Presidents Rick Gibbons and Jim Louis
BLET National Vice Presidents Rick Gibbons and Jim Louis, both of whom are retiring after long careers in railroading and service to the union, were recognized in emotional farewell presentations on Day 2 of the BLET Sixth National Convention. Gibbons, the longest...
Delegates examine UP-NS merger at Town Hall-style meeting
National President Mark Wallace and First Vice President Gary Best closed out the BLET’s Sixth National Convention with a behind closed doors members-only Town Hall-style meeting focused on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The two national officers...
BMWED President Cardwell emphasizes job protections in UP-NS merger
Tony Cardwell, President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), shared BMWED’s concerns about the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger as he addressed delegates in the Thursday morning session of BLET’s Sixth National Convention....
BLET members at the throttle as Amtrak rolls out new Airo trainsets
BLET members kept a steady hand on the throttle as Amtrak rolled out its newest trainsets into passenger service in the Pacific Northwest. In late September, Amtrak introduced brand new Airo trainsets into passenger service on its Cascades route between Vancouver,...
Rep. Titus addresses rail safety, worker protections
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus addressed delegates in the morning session on the third and final day of the BLET convention, raising concerns about rail safety, worker protections, the increased use of artificial intelligence, and the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern...
Wallace elected to four-year term as National President of BLET
On Wednesday, Mark Wallace was elected to his first full four-year term as National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen at the union’s Sixth National Convention in Las Vegas. Wallace, who previously held the union’s second-highest office,...
NTSB’s Homendy to BLET delegates: “Mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living”
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy kicked off the BLET convention Tuesday morning by urging members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to demand meaningful changes to improve railroad safety, citing the deaths and injuries...
BLET Puts “Members First” at Sixth National Convention
Putting members first was the central message as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) opened its Sixth National Convention on Tuesday, October 13, with union leaders highlighting collective bargaining victories, efforts to protect rail jobs, and...
Dick Crow reelected to a fourth term as General Chairman of UP-NR GCA
R.E. (Dick) Crow was reelected to his fourth term as General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Northern Region General Committee of Adjustment (UP-NR GCA) during the GCA’s quadrennial meeting held last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UP-NR GCA represents approximately...
BLET members ratify historic first agreement with Georgia Central
BLET members ratified a milestone first agreement with the Georgia Central Railway, marking a significant achievement for workers who voted to join the Brotherhood in October 2024. The new agreement establishes contractual rights and protections where none previously...
BLET’s Sixth National Convention gets underway this week
The BLET is finalizing preparations for the opening ceremonies of its Sixth National Convention, set to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Approximately 425 delegates will represent BLET’s 31,000 active members during the three-day convention. Delegate...
RRB issues important alert about scammers
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is warning railroad employees, retirees, and family members to stay vigilant against fraudsters and scammers. RRB said that caution and common sense are the best defense against falling victim to this type of activity. The...
Christopher Myron reelected Chairman of Oregon State Legislative Board
Christopher Myron was reelected for a second term as Chairman of the Oregon State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting on September 23. Brother Myron is a BNSF locomotive engineer and a member of BLET Division 842 in Klamath Falls, Ore. The BLET’s Oregon State...
BLET reaches tentative five-year agreement with CPKC for DM&E territory
The BLET has reached a tentative five-year agreement with CPKC for members who work on CPKC’s Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) territory. BLET General Chairman Nick Mugavero said the wage package is paramount to the tentative agreement (TA). If ratified by...
Health & Welfare news: Deadline is October 31 to enroll in 2027 Health FSA program
Currently happening until midnight on October 31, 2026, you can enroll or change your Medical or Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefit selections for the 2027 benefit year. Members must enroll in the Health FSA every year — FSA enrollment is not automatic...
Replacement ballots available in tentative agreement with Georgia Central
BLET members at the Georgia Central are currently voting on a tentative agreement. If ratified, it would become the first union contract for the GC workforce. Ballots will be tabulated on October 9. Eligible members who have not yet received a ballot should call the...
Fact check: UP-NS claim of “majority” union support doesn’t add up
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are claiming a “majority of unions” representing their employees support their proposed merger. The facts show otherwise: unions representing nearly two-thirds of the unionized workforce oppose it. As of August 2026, the six unions...
BLET Education & Training Department: Secretary-Treasurers complete hybrid training
The BLET Education & Training Department recently conducted a comprehensive training class for Secretary-Treasurers recently at BLET National Division Headquarters in Independence, Ohio. It was offered in a hybrid format, with members attending in person and...
Daily Headlines
A message to BLET members: Vena’s “gold standard” looks like fool’s gold
By Mark L. Wallace BLET National President and Teamsters Rail Conference President Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena seems perplexed that unions are fighting for their members. During UP’s October 22 earnings call, he questioned BLET’s opposition to the proposed UP-NS...
Delegates examine UP-NS merger at Town Hall-style meeting
National President Mark Wallace and First Vice President Gary Best closed out the BLET’s Sixth National Convention with a behind closed doors members-only Town Hall-style meeting focused on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The two national officers...
BMWED President Cardwell emphasizes job protections in UP-NS merger
Tony Cardwell, President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), shared BMWED’s concerns about the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger as he addressed delegates in the Thursday morning session of BLET’s Sixth National Convention....
IBT General President O’Brien tells BLET convention delegates: “The partnership between the Teamsters Rail Conference and the International Union has never been stronger”
Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman energized delegates with spirited speeches during the morning session of BLET’s Sixth National Convention on Wednesday. “Since Fred Zuckerman and I took office in 2022, together...
IBEW joins growing labor opposition to UP-NS merger
More than 70 percent of union railroad workers now oppose the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, after the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) last week became the seventh rail union to oppose the proposed acquisition. The IBEW’s announcement...
IBEW announces opposition to UP-NS merger
Shortly after the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition (STRMC) showed that unions representing 66 percent of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s unionized workforce oppose their proposed merger, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) announced today...
Fact check: UP-NS claim of “majority” union support doesn’t add up
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are claiming a “majority of unions” representing their employees support their proposed merger. The facts show otherwise: unions representing nearly two-thirds of the unionized workforce oppose it. As of August 2026, the six unions...
More farm groups voice opposition to UP-NS merger as fuel surcharges double
America’s farmers know a bad deal when they see one. That’s why two prominent national farmers’ groups made headlines this week by voicing concerns that the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger will drive up costs for farmers and consumers. On September 25,...
Railroads “have a long way to go” to prove merger is in the public interest
In a decision announced recently, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) made clear that it has “reached no conclusions on the merits” of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, while acknowledging significant questions remain around competition, service,...
BLET launches online portal: Tell the STB you are opposed to the UP-NS merger
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is seeking public comments on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. We believe our union members’ voices should be part of that record. BLET, BMWED, and TCU are collecting comments from workers, communities,...
