BLET News
BLET’s NASLBC concludes 47th annual meeting
The BLET’s National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen has met annually since 1975 to hear from each State Chairman about railroad related safety and health issues as well as each state’s political climate.
House Transportation leaders urge FRA to act on fatigue, attendance policies
Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure are asking the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to take action on a 2008 Congressional mandate to address rail worker fatigue at Class I carriers, with a specific reference to attendance policies such as those imposed at CSX, Union Pacific, and BNSF.
BLET, SMART-TD gather allies at TTD Executive Committee meeting
CLEVELAND, Ohio (April 6) — The nation’s two largest railroad unions continue to gather allies and momentum as they oppose the imposition of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) tactics by Class I carriers that put safety and the health and lives of working people at...
GOP reps encourage BNSF to re-think Hi-Viz
Five Republican U.S. representatives have contacted the BNSF Railway and encouraged its CEO to reengage with its operating unions to alter the highly-restrictive and punitive Hi-Viz attendance policy.
Bragg elected Oklahoma SLB Chairman
Brother N. Shane Bragg, a member of BLET Division 578 (Tulsa, Okla.), was elected Chairman of the Oklahoma State Legislative Board during its quadrennial meeting held March 22-24, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
BLET launches electronic delivery of publications
BLET members who prefer to receive the publications in print will continue to do so; those who don’t can update their preferences to view the publications in electronic-only format.
Trumble reelected to fourth term as Michigan State Legislative Board Chairman
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 29 — B.J. Trumble was reelected by acclamation to his fourth term as Chairman of the Michigan State Legislative Board at the Board’s Fifth Quadrennial meeting in Lansing, Michigan, March 7-9, 2022. A CN/Grand Trunk Western locomotive...
Union Solidarity, More Important Now than Ever
By Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President (BLET Editor’s Note: The following message from President Pierce has been excepted from the January-March 2022 issue of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen News.) INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 28 — In the piece that I wrote...
BLET, SMART-TD pursue arbitration to resolve Hi-Viz dispute
After thoroughly examining all possible avenues to best continue the Unions’ fight against the BNSF Hi-Viz attendance policy, BLET and SMART TD announced today that they will proceed as expeditiously as possible to arbitration over the policy.
Video of Pierce House testimony now available
A video of BLET President Dennis Pierce’s recent testimony before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous materials is now available.
BLET announces new appointments to Safety Task Force
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 23 — BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce today announced the appointments of nine members to the BLET Safety Task Force (STF), the rail industry’s first and oldest labor-based accident investigation team. National Secretary-Treasurer...
Pierce, Wallace and Joynt elected to lead Teamsters Rail Conference
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 17 — BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce was reelected by acclamation to his fourth term as President of the Teamsters Rail Conference at the Rail Conference’s Fifth Quadrennial Convention in Chicago on March 17, 2022. BLET National Vice...
President Pierce condemns PSR at House hearing
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce was highly critical of the so-called “Precision Scheduled Railroading” business model as he testified at a March 8 hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.
President Pierce’s House testimony now available
The written testimony of BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce, who is testifying today before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials at a hearing titled “Stakeholder Views on Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization,” is now available on the BLET website.
President Pierce to testify at U.S. House hearing on March 8
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce will testify tomorrow, March 8, before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials at a hearing titled “Stakeholder Views on Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization.”
Petition drive launched to compel action on carrier attendance policies
In conjunction with the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), the SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) urge all members to engage in a petition drive to bring attention to the draconian and punitive attendance policies that have forced rail workers to live in constant fatigue.
Open Enrollment for the BLET Short Term Disability Enhanced-Plan Coverage
The Open Enrollment for the BLET’s Short Term Disability Enhanced-Plan and the new Enhanced-Plan Plus, underwritten by Sun Life Financial, has begun. The open enrollment will end on March 31, 2022 and those who enroll will have their coverage take effect on April 1, 2022.
BLET President Pierce and SMART-TD President Ferguson give joint interview on podcast
Attention all SMART-TD and BLET members! Tonight at 7:00 p.m. central standard time, SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson and BLET President Dennis Pierce will be airing a joint interview on the Rails Tails & Trails YouTube channel, which can be viewed at the...
The Fight for Two-Person Crews
The Fight for Two-Person Crews The following is an advance copy of a message from Dennis Pierce, BLET National President that will be included in the upcoming BLET Journal publication: I recently attended a Town Hall meeting with the membership of Division 28 in...
Coordinated Bargaining Coalition Unions Support BMWED/SMART Mechanical Request For An End To Mediation
By letter dated February 24, 2022, the rail bargaining coalition made up of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference and the Mechanical Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Union petitioned the National Mediation Board (NMB) for a proffer of arbitration, requesting to be released from further mediation sessions. If granted by the NMB, the proffer of arbitration is the next step in the process towards self-help and a potential Presidential Emergency Board to settle their contract dispute with the Nation’s rail carriers.
Daily Headlines
AAR: North American rail volume down through 46 weeks
Through the first 46 weeks of 2023 (ending Nov. 18), total North American carload and intermodal traffic decreased 3.1% from the same point last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Nov. 22.
New Jersey lawmakers look to limit high hazard freight trains
Ray Vigil, Chairman of the BLET New Jersey State Legislative Board, testified on behalf of BLET.
CSX CEO Hinrichs encourages railroads to work together and set higher service standards
Regarding the way Class I railroads treat their employees, Hinrichs said: “In a decade we changed… from being one of the most desired jobs to have, to people not recommending their sons, daughters, and nieces and nephews to even consider it.”
Engineers for SEPTA Regional Rail vote to authorize strike
BLET Vice President James P. Louis told SEPTA board members last week that the agency’s engineers and trainmen are the lowest paid in the industry.
Unions are the strongest in decades, nearly a million Americans got double digit raises in 2023 as a result
Nearly 900,000 Americans sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner this week will have unions – and the double-digit pay increases they won – to thank.
People impacted by NS derailment in East Palestine have Thanksgiving meal
Family and friends whose lives have been turned upside down after the toxic East Palestine Norfolk Southern train derailment more than nine months ago shared a Thanksgiving meal together on Tuesday.
911 call center says it misidentified crossing before derailment of Chicago bound Amtrak train
As a result, the train’s engineer had no warning about the stranded vehicle until it came into view at some point before the crash. Six people were taken to the hospital.
FRA issues Safety Advisory on weather-related accidents/incidents
According to FRA, there have been 123 such accidents/incidents since 2021.
STB extends deadline for feedback on reciprocal switching rule
The new deadline is December 20, 2023.
Mexico issues decree forcing private freight railway lines to give preference to passenger service
Mexico’s government issued a decree Monday that will force private freight railway lines to give preference to passenger train service over their normal freight runs.
