BLET News
Get involved: Join us in Kansas City June 3-7
Brothers and Sisters, I am writing to personally invite you and your family to attend this year’s Western Regional Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting will take place the week of June 3 at the Marriott, Kansas City Downtown. Our Education and Training...
Brightline West groundbreaking: “Full speed ahead” with Rail Labor on board
On April 22, Brightline West officially broke ground on its Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail system. The 218-mile route will be constructed within the median of the I-15 highway with zero grade crossings, and is based on Brightline’s business model of...
Nevada BLET member encourages Colorado lawmakers to support rail safety bill
Drawing on his experience in lobbying for a rail safety bill in Nevada, BLET Division 766 (Las Vegas) member Jason Doering is using the media to urge legislators in Colorado to support a rail safety bill. Brother Doering’s opinion column was published in the Colorado...
FRA two-person crew regulation: Teamsters say regulators should resist industry push for single pilot cockpits
As rail labor unions celebrated the Federal Railroad Administration’s new regulation requiring two-person crews on freight trains, airline pilot unions raised the question: Can the same policy continue for aircrafts? While current U.S. regulations require two pilots...
Register today! Hotel reservations must be made by May 3 for BLET’s Kansas City regional meeting
BLET members are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible for the Western Regional Meeting, which will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, the week of June 3, 2024. Hotel room reservations must be made by May 3, 2024. The meeting will be held at the...
BLET announces creation of the New England Legislative Board
New England Legislative Board Chairman Dan Cadogan _____________________ The BLET is proud to announce the formation of the New England Legislative Board (NELB). It was established earlier this year to acknowledge the regionalization and expansion of the former...
Colorado: Thanks to BLET effort and testimony, rail safety bill advances in state legislature
Colorado State Legislative Board Chairman Paul Pearson ___________________ Colorado BLET members are working hard to secure passage of a major rail safety bill in the state’s legislature. BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna, BLET...
Social media: Get connected with the BLET
The BLET National Division is investing more time and resources into its various social media outlets. It is the best place to go to get the latest news. Click the link below to get connected! In 2023, the BLET launched this Weekly News Recap, a quick-hitting list of...
Register now for BLET’s Kansas City regional meeting
Registration is now open for the BLET’s Western Regional Meeting, which will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, the week of June 3, 2024. Guests will stay at the Marriott Kansas City Downtown (200 West 12th St., Kansas City, MO, 65105, telephone: (816) 421-6800)....
Have you registered? Join us this summer for BLET regional meetings in Kansas City and Washington, D.C.
Registration is now open for the BLET’s Western Regional Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Eastern Regional Meeting in Washington, D.C. Please make your plans now to attend one or both meetings. The Western Regional Meeting will take place the week of June 3...
Autonomous rail technology: BLET petitions FRA to deny safety waiver for Parallel Systems test
The BLET has filed formal comments with the Federal Railroad Administration opposing a safety waiver that would allow the introduction of autonomous train technology in the United States. BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna said...
Two-person crew regulation: BLET keeps it in notch 8, continues to pursue rail safety reforms as railroads sue to block new safety rule
The Federal Railroad Administration’s two-person crew rule announced earlier this month — which requires railroads to “staff every train operation with a minimum of two crewmembers (including a locomotive engineer and an additional crewmember who will typically be a...
Solar eclipse 2024: Hello darkness, my old friend
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse moved across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. As you can see in the photo...
Biden fires Railroad Retirement Board inspector general for creating a hostile work environment
On March 29, President Joe Biden fired Railroad Retirement Board Inspector General Martin Dickman after a year-long investigation found he had created a hostile work environment. According to The Hill, the whistleblower investigation uncovered evidence that Dickman...
NTSB conducting safety culture survey, BLET members encouraged to participate
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting a confidential survey of the Norfolk Southern workforce to evaluate the railroad’s safety culture. Surveys were sent to all NS craft employees on April 3, and the survey will conclude on April 19. BLET General...
Registration now open for BLET’s Washington D.C. regional meeting
Registration is now open for the BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting, which will be held in Washington, D.C., the week of July 28, 2024. Guests will stay at the Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, telephone (202) 393-1000. Meeting registration and...
CN/WC: Tentative agreement reached on quality of life improvements
In late March, the BLET reached a tentative agreement for 600 locomotive engineers at the Canadian National/Wisconsin Central Railway. The agreement, which requires ratification by the membership, provides significant quality of life improvements and comes after...
Registration now open for BLET’s Washington D.C. regional meeting
Registration is now open for the BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting, which will be held in Washington, D.C., the week of July 28, 2024. Guests will stay at the Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, telephone (202) 393-1000. Meeting registration and...
Years in the making: FRA enacts federal two-person crew regulation
Pictured: BLET VP & NLR Vince Verna during a DOT press conference announcing the two-person crew regulation on April 2. In the background, from left, is David Hoagland, President, Washington D.C. Firefighters Association, IAFF, Local 36, and Pete Buttigieg,...
BLET President Hall applauds new FRA rule on two-person train crews
As trains, many carrying hazardous material, have grown longer, crews should not be getting smaller.
Daily Headlines
Keolis commuter rail workers protest wages, benefits
More than a dozen Keolis workers packed into an MBTA Board meeting on February 29 to describe low pay and lackluster benefits.
AAR: Rail traffic up in week ending Feb. 24
Total carloads for the week ending February 24 were 224,251 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,405 containers and trailers, up 12.6 percent compared to 2023.
BLET critical of activist investor’s takeover plan at Norfolk Southern
The BLET’s three General Chairmen who represent members at Norfolk Southern have issued a statement supporting the current management team at NS in the railroad’s looming proxy battle with activist investor Ancora Holdings.
STB Chair Oberman: NS takeover could be a “huge detriment” to rail industry
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman is concerned about the potential of activist investors succeeding in their effort to replace Norfolk Southern Corp.’s top leadership in favor of a short-term strategy of cost-cutting and workforce reductions to boost profits.
NTSB preliminary report: NS engineer Chris Wilson was killed when his locomotive was hit by rolling railcars
BLET Division 423 member Chris Wilson suffered fatal injuries when his Norfolk Southern locomotive was struck by a group of 35 railcars rolling on an adjacent track, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary accident report released on February 28.
BNSF cuts shop positions in Kansas and Nebraska, offers workers incentives to transfer to locations that are hiring
BNSF Railway has cut jobs from mechanical shops in Kansas and Nebraska and has offered affected workers positions at facilities where it is hiring. The railroad did not say where jobs were cut or how many positions were eliminated. But local news reports said that more than 100 positions were cut at BNSF shops in Alliance and Havelock, Neb., and in Topeka, Kan.
Buffett’s 2024 annual letter to investors highlights railroad workers
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett’s widely read annual letter to investors, released on Saturday alongside the company’s 2023 financial results, included a long passage on railroads in general and BNSF Railway in particular.
BNSF posts lower revenue, income in Q4 2023
BNSF Railway Co. announced total revenue for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 decreased 6% and 8%, respectively, compared with the same periods in the previous year.
Boosting wages, protecting jobs: Teamsters reach major new agreement with Anheuser-Busch
On Feb. 28, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a five-year tentative agreement significantly raising pay, improving health care and retirement benefits, and providing critical job security for all 5,000 Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch breweries nationwide.
STB’s Robert Primus: Deja vu, all over again
And just when you think our freight-rail network and national supply chain are back on solid ground, we now face yet another assault from those who view the Class Is as short-term cash cows.
