BLET News
Sign Teamsters petition to support FLCA!
458 days. Because of corporate corruption, a rigged system, and broken labor laws, that's how long the average American worker waits for their first union contract after voting to unionize. The Teamsters are leading the charge to fix it with the Faster Labor Contracts...
Alert to BLET members on the dangers of reliance on Positive Train Control
PTC Is Not Your Co-Pilot By Dan Lucansky Director of BLET Arbitration Department (BLET Editor’s Note: The following was written by BLET Arbitration Department Director Dan Lucansky. The alert seeks to advise BLET locomotive engineers on discipline cases that have been...
BLET applauds bipartisan bill to protect American railroad jobs at the Southern Border
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) National Division today applauded introduction of the bipartisan Protecting American Railroad Workers Jobs Act of 2026 (H.R. 8468) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation introduced by...
National Health & Welfare Benefits: Are you due for preventive care?
Preventive health care can help you find little things early, before they turn into bigger issues. That means that seeing your doctor every 12 months could help you stay healthier in the long term. Plus, there’s no cost to BLET members and their families. The National...
Last Run: D.B. Kenner proudly served BLET as Montana SLB Chairman, Safety Task Force investigator
Brother D.B. Kenner, a member of BLET Division 195 (Forsyth, Mont.), safely completed his Last Run for the BNSF Railway on January 29, 2026. Kenner’s career spanned three decades and includes nearly 20 years of service as an elected officer of the BLET. Kenner hired...
Railroad Retirement Board: Updates for retired and active railroaders
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is providing a new online service for retired members as well as assistance to BLET members who are still working but planning to retire soon. The RRB also has newly available information especially valuable for those who may be...
Bill to expand overtime tax breaks to rail workers introduced in U.S. Senate
The Teamsters Rail Conference, comprised of BLET and BMWED, is supporting the No Tax on Overtime For All Workers Act (S. 4310). The legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate last week by Sens. Jim Justice (R-WV) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). The bipartisan bill would...
Fire claims the life of a retired BLET member and his three granddaughters
A tragic house fire has claimed the life of retired BLET member Walter Palmer and his three granddaughters, ages 16, 10 and 8. Palmer was their primary caregiver after their mother died of cancer. The 71-year-old Palmer was a retired member of BLET Division 582 in...
BLET members ratify new contract with Tacoma Rail
The agreement provides retroactive pay from 2017-2025, general wage increases from 2026-2029, establishes an additional paid holiday (Juneteenth), and address other work rule provisions.
BLET members ratify first contract at Utah Central
BLET members ratified a significant new agreement with the Utah Central last week — it is the first union agreement at the formerly non-union railroad. Utah Central workers voted to join BLET in December 2024.
Clock continues to tick at LIRR as deadline for “self-help” is just over a month away
On April 7, leaders of five Long Island Rail Road unions, including BLET, representing more than 3,500 unionized railroaders, held a news conference in New York City to tell New Yorkers that “self-help” where the unions can legally strike or the employer could lock out workers is a little over a month away, and labor is still waiting for management to submit a proposal to settle the dispute.
BLET seeks job protections in light of possible restructuring at Amtrak
BLET National President Mark Wallace and Amtrak General Chairman Pat Darcy recently represented the union at a meeting of Amtrak’s Executive Leadership where a proposed restructuring of the national passenger railroad was discussed.
Teamsters Rail Conference emphasizes protection of positions in meetings with Wall Street investors regarding proposed UP-NS merger
On April 7, leaders of the Teamsters Rail Conference met in New York City with Wall Street analysts and investors who study the Class I railroad industry to discuss potential ramifications of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger and the Teamsters Rail Conference’s opposition to the merger.
Workshop for short line members a first for BLET Education & Training Dept.
The BLET Education & Training Department hosted its first workshop specifically for Grievance Chairmen representing BLET short line members on Saturday, March 28. A Saturday was selected as it is the day most short line members are off duty.
RRB: Pre-Retirement Seminars are online only in 2026
Due to ongoing budget constraints, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is unable to conduct pre-retirement seminars in-person this year. These critical seminars help promote a better understanding of the sometimes-complicated RRB benefit programs. In the absence of...
BLET pushes Congress to increase funding for the Railroad Retirement Board to better serve railroaders
A lack of funding to support the administrative functions of the Railroad Retirement Board has severely hampered the agency’s ability to operate. As an example of this, the waiting period for some RRB disability claims now extends beyond 400 days. The BLET National...
After helping to save a life, BLET General Chairman Scott Alexander asks others to learn CPR
February was a difficult time for Brother Scott Alexander, General Chairman of the BLET’s Union Pacific-Southern Region General Committee of Adjustment. Alexander had just lost his mother and was at his parents’ house making funeral arrangements with extended family...
Expecting a baby? Get 24/7 virtual health support for you and your family
Expecting a baby? The National Railroad Plans – Health & Welfare Benefits covers unlimited access to Maven, a virtual personal health platform designed to help BLET members and their families navigate maternity and newborn care. It is one of several benefits...
In a letter to The Washington Post, BLET National President slams attack on Vice President J.D. Vance for supporting rail safety
BLET National President Mark Wallace in a letter-to-the-editor challenged a hit piece published as a guest editorial in The Washington Post. The commentary written by an executive at the advocacy group Advancing American Freedom attacks Vice President J.D. Vance for...
Trumble reelected State Legislative Board Chairman
Seated (left to right): Rob Majchszak, Div. 850; Chris Smith, Div. 920; B.J. Trumble, Chairman; Bryan Marenger, Div. 185; and Dominic DeSanto, Div. 1. Standing (left to right): Tim Coppess, Div. 33; Ryan Morris, Div. 2; Jason Carrier, Div. 122; Lee Lovelette, Div. 19;...
Daily Headlines
UP, NS shareholders support $85 billion merger
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board must still approve it before the deal can be completed.
NTSB releases preliminary report on fatal accident involving BLET member working as a BNSF conductor
The worker killed was identified as 52-year-old Daniel Peterson of Billings, Mont., a member of BLET Division 232 (Laurel, Montana).
CN reports Q3 2025 results
CN reported that its net income was C$1,139 million in Q3 2025, an increase of C$54 million, or 5%.
CPCK reports Q3 2025 results
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced its third-quarter results, including revenues of $3.7 billion.
BNSF reports Q3 2025 results
The railway’s operating ratio was 64.1%, a 1-point improvement over a year ago.
Union Pacific reports Q3 2025 results
Union Pacific Corporation reported 2025 third quarter net income of $1.8 billion, or $3.01 per diluted share. Results include merger costs of $41 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.
Norfolk Southern reports Q3 2025 results
For the quarter, revenue was $3.1 billion, income from railway operations was $1.1 billion, operating ratio was 64.6%, and diluted earnings per share were $3.16.
CSX reports Q3 2025 results
CSX Corp. announced third quarter operating income of $1.09 billion and net earnings of $694 million, or $0.37 per share. In the third quarter of 2024, the company reported operating income of $1.35 billion and net earnings of $894 million, or $0.46 per share.
Railroads spurn C3RS, a safety system designed to prevent accidents
Class I freight railroads incorrectly assume a punitive approach to safety gets the best results.
NS agrees to give Amtrak highest priority over freight trains and make its delay records for Amtrak trains available to the DOJ
As a result of the settlement, the Justice Department has moved to dismiss its lawsuit against Norfolk Southern.
