BLET News
BLET Advisory Board Resolution on Tentative National Freight Agreement
IT IS NOW HEREBY RESOLVED:
1. The Advisory Board unanimously supports the decision made by the National Wage Committee to send the Tentative Agreement to the membership for their consideration.
2. The Advisory Board further recognizes that our Bylaws require that the membership be given the right to vote on the contract, and fully respects their right to vote in favor of or against the Tentative Agreement. Should the Tentative Agreement fail ratification, every member of the Advisory Board will be on the picket line with the membership when the cooling-off period ends.
Laveing reelected Chairman of Pennsylvania State Legislative Board
Brother Tim M. Laveing was reelected by acclamation to his second term as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Legislative Board at its fifth quadrennial meeting in Hersey, Pa., September 7-8, 2022.
BLET announces timeline for balloting in Tentative National Agreement
Once the Q&A session is complete, the tentative plan is to distribute ballots to the affected members on or around Friday, October 14, with a tentative count date on or around November 17, 2022.
BLET, SMART-TD reach tentative agreement with railroads
For immediate release, September 15, 2022 Statement by Jeremy Ferguson, President, SMART Transportation Division and Dennis Pierce, President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen on Tentative Agreement Reached Early This Morning Between Unions...
SMART-TD, BLET Joint Statement on Rail Embargo
The railroads are using shippers, consumers, and the supply chain of our nation as pawns in an effort to get our Unions to cave into their contract demands knowing that our members would never accept them. Our Unions will not cave into these scare tactics, and Congress must not cave into what can only be described as corporate terrorism.
BLET, SMART-TD joint statement on Labor Day 2022
As we approach Labor Day 2022, our Unions stand at a crossroads. While our normal messages heading into one of the most important days for Organized Labor would be about Labor’s proud history of improving the lives of working-class Americans, we are embroiled in the ongoing effort to obtain a National Freight Agreement worthy of our members’ consideration.
Ballots to be mailed in tentative BNSF-MRL implementing agreements
“I encourage all of our MRL members to participate in this important balloting process,” President Pierce said. “Membership ratification is a core principle of our Union.”
Update on PEB 250 recommendations to national agreement negotiations
On Monday, August 22, the SMART TD and BLET, along with the other remaining United Rail Unions, met with the Rail Carriers via Zoom to determine if PEB 250’s recommendations could serve as a basis for a tentative agreement. In-person meetings were then held on Thursday and Friday in Chicago, Illinois. Unfortunately, the meetings did not result in any tentative agreement language that operating crafts would accept, or that could be presented to our members for ratification.
Make your voice heard on FRA’s proposed two-person crew rule
FRA needs to hear from you; we encourage members to post comments from your perspective as a locomotive engineer or conductor.
PEB 250 issues recommendations
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, August 17 — The recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) No. 250 were published on Tuesday, August 16. Officers of the BLET National Division, along with legal counsel and the BLET Wage Team, are continuing to analyze the report and...
Runion reelected Wyoming SLB Chairman
The BLET’s Wyoming State Legislative Board (WYSLB) convened its triennial meeting on June 13, 2022, at the Wyoming AFL-CIO Labor Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
In the Line of Duty: Ryan M. Jones
Brother Ryan M. Jones, a member of BLET Division 103 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, passed away while on duty on July 28, 2022. He was 33 years old.
Sean Simon joins BLET National Legislative Office
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce has appointed Brother Sean P. Simon of BLET Division 226 (Newark, New Jersey), to serve the BLET as Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, effective July 25, 2022.
National Division launches 2022 convention website
The BLET National Division has launched a new website to provide key information to delegates, vendors and guests attending the union’s Fifth National Convention, which will be held October 10-13, 2022.
BLET opens Baltimore regional meeting
Guest speakers included: Jimmy Donovan, Director of the Department of Political and Legislative Affairs, International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Amit Bose, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; John Bragg, Labor Member, Railroad Retirement Board; and Kat Bisbikis, National President, BLET Auxiliary.
BLET, SMART-TD presidents update members following PEB 250
Presidential Emergency Board (“PEB” or “the Board”) 250 conducted hearings in Washington, D.C. this past week, concluding on July 28th. We both were honored to represent our unions and, by extension, the memberships of the dozen strong United Rail Unions as we presented and testified in support of our unified case to the PEB. We are sharing this joint message to ensure that our members are up to date on all of the bargaining round issues.
In the Line of Duty: Keith W. Bass
Brother Keith W. Bass, a member of BLET Division 48 in St. Louis, Missouri, died on July 27 from injuries sustained in a crew van accident on July 26. He was 46 years old.
Membership update from the United Rail Unions regarding PEB No. 250
Today, July 24, 2022, the United Rail Unions, who are bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way/SMART Mechanical Coalition, and the Carriers represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) began their presentations before the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) appointed by President Biden.
BLET members ratify new contract with Illinois & Midland
The BLET secured General Wage increases of 29 percent over the life of the five-year agreement, which runs through 2026. Members also receive a $5,000 signing bonus.
TTD President: Rail labor welcomes Biden’s announcement of Emergency Board
Editor's Note: The following is a press release from Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) regarding President Biden's appointment of a Presidential Emergency Board to investigate the national rail contract dispute. RAIL LABOR WELCOMES...
Daily Headlines
Police say man jumped on freight train, attacked locomotive engineer with knife in Minnesota
A man is facing felony charges for allegedly attacking a train engineer with a knife, causing the victim to flee by jumping from a moving locomotive Tuesday near Sauk Rapids, Minnesota.
AAR: Carloads up, intermodal down for week ending September 17
While U.S. carloads rose for Week 37 (ending Sept. 17, 2022), intermodal volume fell, bringing total traffic down compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Sept. 21.
BNSF says it can’t be sued by Amtrak crash victims
BNSF Railway has asked a federal court to rule that those who have sued over the June derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief must settle matters through arbitration rather than lawsuits, and asked that state suits be placed on hold while the arbitration question is decided at the federal level.
UP to announce Q3 2022 results on October 20
Union Pacific Corporation will release third quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, at 7:45 a.m. ET.
Chicago’s CREATE lands $70 million federal grant for Westside project
Chicago’s CREATE Program will receive $70 million in federal funding for a $170 million project to modernize a 2-mile stretch of Union Pacific track on the city’s west side, the partners in the Chicago Region Environment and Transportation Efficiency Program have announced.
Class Is log U.S. employment surge for August 2022
Year over year, the number of transportation (train and engine) employees was up 3.5%.
Coal mining companies complain about rail service, particularly in the East
Mines have had to curtail production due to poor rail service that’s only getting worse even as demand for coal rises, the National Mining Association told the Surface Transportation Board in a letter last week.
Business groups take aim at chronic rail disruptions
But business groups argue that there is more to be done to address poor rail service, which they say has magnified red-hot inflation.
1,000 Teamsters rally at Amazon HQ to call out company for exploiting workers, harming communities
One thousand Teamsters and local community supporters held a massive rally today outside of Amazon’s corporate headquarters in Seattle to demand the company end its union busting tactics and dangerous labor practices. The rally coincided with the Teamsters Women’s Conference, being held in Seattle this week.
NTSB releases preliminary report on fatal UP accident in August 2022
A preliminary report has been issued regarding the deadly train derailment in the Lower Valley in August.
