BLET News
UP-Central Region General Chairman Ronnie Rhodes retires
Ronnie Rhodes (right) pictured with his wife Lisa at the 2023 Milwaukee regional meeting. ____________________ The BLET National Division extends best wishes to Brother Ronnie Rhodes, who retired from his position as General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Central...
BLET calls for FRA to examine root cause of Amtrak’s ongoing loss of shunt problem
The BLET opposes the installation of shunt enhancer antennas on Amtrak's fleet of Siemens Charger locomotives. Photo by David Estes ____________________ The BLET has filed written comments with the Federal Railroad Administration to oppose Amtrak’s request for a...
Philadelphia: BLET reaches tentative agreement with SEPTA
The BLET has reached a tentative contract with SEPTA, and ballots were mailed today to eligible members who operate regional rail trains for the transit agency. The tentative three-year contract would run from March 3, 2023 to March 2, 2026. Among other gains, the...
BLET cites PSR and corporate greed as NTSB issues final report on East Palestine derailment
These Brothers represented BLET at the NTSB board meeting in East Palestine on June 25 (from left): Director of Political Affairs Brendan Sullivan; National VP & NLR Vince Verna; National VP and STF Chairman Randy Fannon, STF National Coordinator Brian Fransen,...
Pharmacy benefit manager to change for BLET members beginning in 2025
All individuals under the National Railroad Health and Welfare (GA-23000) Plan will have their Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) changed effective January 1, 2025. The Plans will switch from Express Scripts, Inc. to Optum Rx. All covered members, eligible spouses and...
Spradlin reelected KCS General Chairman
David Spradlin (front row, 2nd from left) was reelected GC of the Kansas City Southern GCA at their quadrennial meeting this week. ___________________ David Spradlin was reelected as Chairman during the Kansas City Southern / Louisiana & Arkansas Railway General...
Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern: BLET members vote to ratify tentative agreement
BLET members have voted to ratify a tentative contract agreement with the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad (CF&E). This on-property agreement will govern rates of pay, benefits and work rules for 45 operating employees. The five-year deal will run...
William Wallace elected new Chairman of UP-Western Region GCA as Leyshon retires
Newly elected GC William Wallace (front row, center) with members at the UP-Western Region GCA quadrennial meeting. He replaces the retiring Steve Leyshon (front row, 2nd from left). __________________ William Wallace of BLET Division 362 was elected as the new...
Message to the Membership: From President Eddie Hall on the 2024 Eastern Regional Meeting
Brothers and Sisters, I want to express my gratitude following the Western Regional Meeting in Kansas City and thank everyone who attended. You all are the Union, and I was delighted to host the meeting. I want to invite you and your families to our Eastern Regional...
A strike can happen at NJ Transit as soon as July 25
30-day “cooling-off” period begins today as NMB releases BLET from mediation Today, the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that regulates labor relations for railroads and airlines, has granted release to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and...
California: BLET reaches tentative agreement with PHL
The BLET has reached a tentative contract with the Pacific Harbor Line (PHL). Ballots for a vote on a tentative agreement governing rates of pay for approximately 150 members were mailed on Friday, June 21. If ratified by the membership, the agreement would run...
East Palestine: NTSB to announce final findings, probable cause, and recommendations
On Tuesday, June 25, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a public meeting regarding the 2023 East Palestine train derailment and subsequent hazardous material release and fires. During the hearing, NTSB board members will vote on the findings,...
Minnesota: BLET will now have a seat at the table on governor’s Freight Rail Council
Governor Tim Walz (front row, blue tie) was the guest of honor at the Minnesota SLB quadrennial meeting in 2023. He recently named Chairman Joel Mueller (front row, center) to the governor's Freight Rail Council. _____________________ Minnesota lawmakers adopted two...
Deluzio appointed to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, pictured here at a recent roundtable discussion on rail safety, had many constituents in his Pennsylvania district affected by the derailment in East Palestine. ______________________ U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) has been appointed to the...
Wyoming: BLET Division 103 marks 155th anniversary
Division 103 members pose with their original charter which they presented to the Wyoming State Archives. ____________________ BLET Division 103 is celebrating its 155th anniversary. The Division is the oldest, still active union in the state of Wyoming. It was...
Evans reelected General Chairman of CN-IC GCA
Newly reelected GC Billy Evans (front row, center) with the members of the CN-IC GCA. ____________________ William (Billy) Evans was reelected to his third term of office as General Chairman of the BLET’s CN-IC General Committee of Adjustment at the GCA’s quadrennial...
Study finds that derailment risk increases as trains get longer
A recent academic study by researchers from Brigham Young University, Georgetown University, and Virginia Tech found that the risk of derailment increases with train length. The study, which analyzed FRA data from 2013-2022, found that a 200-car freight train is 24%...
Obituary: Retired BLET General Chairman Tony Smith
Retired BLET General Chairman Tony Smith, who served the CSXT Eastern Lines GCA for 22 years, passed away on June 15, 2024. He was 71 years old. He is survived by his wife Ann, sons Bryant and Anthony and grandson Sam. Tony and Ann were married for 48 years. Brother...
Indiana Harbor Belt: BLET Members show solidarity amid attempted raid
BLET Division 682 members working at the Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) have been dealing with a raid from SMART-TD, which has been acting increasingly desperate due to continued membership losses. On June 12, at Hammond, IN, nearly 50 BLET members and officers gathered...
Organizing win in Arizona: Railroaders abandoned by SMART-TD vote to join the BLET
The Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) train and engine service employees have voted to join the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), becoming the newest members of BLET, the nation’s oldest union. The election was certified on June 13 by the National...
Daily Headlines
NTSB issues preliminary report on UP track worker fatality
The NTSB report says the incident came after the victim walked near the tread on the south side of the excavator; the machine’s operator was in the process of moving ballast when the bucket struck the manager; he was pinned between the bucket and body of the machine, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
UP undermined FRA safety culture assessment
The meddling was so widespread across Union Pacific’s 23-state network that the Federal Railroad Administration had no choice but to suspend its safety assessment of the company.
Teamsters Canada members vote to authorize strike at CN, CPKC
Unless parties can reach an agreement, a work stoppage can occur as early as May 22, at 00:01.
Union Pacific’s Q1 2024 profit up 1% as railroad limits expenses
Union Pacific said it made $1.64 billion, or $2.69 per share, in the first quarter of 2024. That’s higher than last year’s $1.63 billion, or $.2.67 per share.
NS Q1 2024 earnings offer railroad a chance to defend its strategy ahead of control vote
Norfolk Southern confirmed the $53 million, or 23 cents per share, that it earned in the first quarter.
CPKC says longer hauls helped propel Q1 2024 earnings
On a combined basis — which estimates the effects of the CP-KCS merger as if it had become effective on Jan. 1, 2023, instead of April 14, 2023 — CPKC’s operating income was flat, at $1.2 billion, as revenue increased 2%, to $3.5 billion.
New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Jr. dies at 65
The BLET mourns the passing of Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. (D-NJ), a staunch advocate for rail safety who served as Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.
Jury: BNSF contributed to 2 asbestos-related deaths in Montana
A federal jury on Monday said BNSF Railway contributed to the deaths of two people who were exposed to asbestos decades ago when tainted mining material was shipped through a Montana town where thousands have been sickened.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending April 13, 2024
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 466,463 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
CSX profit drops 10% in Q1 2024; CEO says Baltimore bridge collapse will reduce Q2 revenue by about $25 million per month
The railroad said on April 17 that it earned $893 million, or 46 cents per share, in the first three months of the year as it handled 3% more freight. That’s down from $987 million, or 48 cents per share, a year ago.
