BLET News
BLET reaches tentative agreement with CSXT
Nearly 3,500 BLET members at CSXT will receive detailed information about the tentative agreement soon, and a ratification vote is scheduled to begin later this month.
The Brave Engineer: BLET honors legacy of Casey Jones on 125th anniversary of fatal train crash
April 30 marked the 125th anniversary of the fatal train wreck that made Casey Jones a household name. Most people have heard of the brave locomotive engineer named Casey Jones through popular culture. But not everyone knows that he was, in fact, a member of our...
BLET, NJ Transit Update: Clock ticks toward May 16 strike deadline
The National Mediation Board (NMB) has summoned the BLET and NJ Transit back to Washington D.C. for a last-ditch effort to reach a contract settlement ahead of this week’s strike deadline. The parties will meet on Monday, May 12. A strike or lock-out could begin as...
Watch this: BLET-produced television ad about NJT contract battle to hit the airwaves
The BLET National Division has produced a television commercial on behalf of its NJ Transit members, which will run on cable in New Jersey next week. The ad outlines the union’s position on locomotive engineer wages in advance of a potential strike or lock-out at NJT...
BLET marks 162nd anniversary in 2025
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) marks its 162nd anniversary on May 8. The BLET and its members are proud of our heritage as the oldest labor union in North America. Our union was founded as the Brotherhood of the Footboard on May 8, 1863,...
New York: BLET reaches tentative agreement with WNYP
The BLET has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the Western New York & Pennsylvania (WNYP) Railroad, governing rates of pay, benefits, and work rules. If approved by the membership, the tentative agreement will run through 2030. It provides for a...
California State Legislative Board begins long haul effort to pass rail safety bill
Members of the BLET’s State Legislative Board in California have launched a two-year plan to lobby for passage of a rail safety bill. Introduced this year, Senate Bill 667 would set train length limits of 7,500 feet and require installation of wayside detectors every...
BLET testifies that recent rash of rail cargo thefts are made worse by PSR
BLET Division 28 President Eddie Strom was in Washington D.C. to represent BLET at a roundtable discussion about rail cargo thefts. ____________________ The BLET provided a working railroader’s perspective on the growing trend of rail cargo thefts at a Congressional...
A special message from BLET National President Mark Wallace
It’s my honor and privilege to serve as the new National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Like many of you, I come from a family of railroaders. My father started his railroad career 65 years ago and the BLET has been an important...
Pittsburgh: BLET reaches tentative contract with Union Railroad
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh, Pa. The deal governs pay, benefits, and work rules. If approved by the members, the contract will run through July of 2028 and provides for a $500 signing bonus and general wage...
New Orleans: General Chairmen conclude annual meeting
Members of the BLET’s National General Chairmen’s Association (NGCA) concluded their 2025 annual meeting on April 24. The NGCA meets annually for the purpose of carrying on concerted movements related to wages, working conditions, education, training, sharing...
New York: It’s time to settle LIRR contract
Trains don’t run themselves — that’s the message from BLET members to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and members of the State Senate and Assembly. The BLET, along with four other rail unions — BRS, IAM, TCU, and IBEW — are involved in contract negotiations with the...
Illinois State Legislative Board conducts training for Division Legislative Representatives
Seated, from left: Brandon Stewart, Div. 96 and Illinois SLB 1st Vice Chairman; Cory Martin Illinois SLB Chairman; Reggie Hill, Div. 131; and Al Denton, Div. 118. Standing, from left: Chez Walker, Div. 404; Anthony Davis, Div. 815; Chuck Grigsby, Div. 602 and Illinois...
Workers Memorial Day 2025: Commemorating workers who died on the job, including two BLET members
Each year on April 28, unions including the BLET recognize Workers Memorial Day and remember American workers who have suffered and died on the job. On Workers Memorial Day the BLET honors two of our members who tragically passed away while on the job in the past...
Register today: Hotel reservations for Daytona Beach regional meeting must be made by May 14
“Start your engines…” Daytona Beach, Florida — famous for wide beaches and auto racing — is the site of the union’s 2025 Eastern Regional Meeting. BLET members are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible for the meeting, which is scheduled for the...
Utah: Tariff war with China hurts BLET members at UP, PHL after closure of iron ore mine
Citing the recent tariff trade war with China, an iron ore mine in Utah closed so suddenly that workers found out on Facebook that they no longer had jobs. The mine had supplied Chinese steelmakers with iron ore. The indefinite closure of Iron Ore LLC’s mine in Cedar...
Breaking News: Eddie Hall to retire as BLET President effective May 1; First Vice President Mark Wallace to become National President, VP Gary Best elected First Vice President
Eddie Hall is retiring as National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) effective May 1, 2025. In accordance with the BLET Bylaws, First Vice President Mark Wallace will assume the office of National President upon Hall’s...
Arizona: BLET Division 28 hosts annual Spring BBQ and Old Timers Picnic
Old friends reconnected and new memories were made on Saturday, April 12, as members of BLET Division 28 hosted their Spring BBQ and Old Timers Picnic in Tucson, Ariz. The annual event brought together over 200 family members, friends, and guests who celebrated the...
Arizona: Darice Gilliam elected chair of Arizona State Legislative Board
From left: Vince Verna, BLET VP&NLR; Tommy Perez, Div. 647; Manny Perez, Div. 647; Robert Lopez, Div. 134; Consuelo Hernandez, Arizona State Representative; Eddie Strom, Div. 28; Kevin Onnembo, outgoing Arizona SLBC; Darice Gilliam, new Arizona SLBC; Brendan...
Nevada: Members urged to make their voices heard as new rail safety bill advances
BLET Nevada State Legislative Board Chairman Matt Parker testifying in favor of Nevada Assembly Bill 466 ____________________ As a major railroad safety bill makes its way through the state legislature in Nevada, the BLET’s Nevada State Legislative Board is asking...
Daily Headlines
Regulators scrutinize trends on second day of rail growth hearings
At the opening of today’s Surface Transportation Board hearing on the lack of rail freight volume growth, Vice Chair Karen Hedlund said she was still struck by what she heard the day before from analysts and shippers and Class I railroad executives.
Railroads and regulators must address the dangers of long trains, report says
The report said there is a clear correlation between the number of derailments related to in-train forces and the long trains that routinely measure more than a mile or two long.
Norfolk Southern CEO fired for “consensual relationship” with railroad’s chief legal officer
A statement from the company on Wednesday said that Shaw had been dismissed “for cause,” which could prevent him from collecting the kind of exit package that CEOs often receive when shown the door.
Safety concerns are at the heart of the TCRC-CN/CPKC dispute as arbitration decision draws near
A major issue in the ongoing negotiations is fatigue safety. According to the union, the railway companies are seeking to weaken protections around rest periods, shift length and scheduling.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw to step down amid misconduct probe, sources say
The Wall Street Journal reported that the railroad’s board opened a probe into him late Sunday over an alleged affair with an employee.
Amtrak and partners break ground on new Connecticut River Bridge
The new bridge will support a maximum train operating speed of 70 mph, a 55% increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph.
TCRC formally appeals binding arbitration order
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (Teamsters) filed appeals challenging the decisions that led to binding arbitration being imposed on workers at CN and CPKC, effectively stripping them of their right to collectively bargain.
ATDA organizes train dispatchers at Genesee & Wyoming
On September 4, 2024, the NMB announced that Train Dispatchers from the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad have voted to unionize with the ATDA.
Rail worker’s death in Ohio railyard highlights union questions about remote control trains
BLET Vice President Randy Fannon, who heads the union’s Safety Task Force, said he thinks, “This tragic incident in Ohio involving a remotely operated train, blindly controlled from behind, would not have happened if there had been a locomotive engineer in the cab.”
BNSF stresses safety but is still held back by longstanding industry issues, report finds
The FRA also reiterated its recommendation for BNSF and all the major freight railroads to sign on to the confidential federal safety reporting hotline for workers to report concerns without fear of being punished.
