BLET News
BLET Education & Training Dept.: Refresher courses via Zoom help Secretary-Treasurers with end-of-year requirements and new payroll application launching January 1, 2026
The BLET Education & Training Department conducted two Zoom-based Secretary-Treasurer refresher training sessions December 16-18 to help subordinate officers prepare for end-of-year requirements and to provide instruction for a new payroll application that will...
It’s on to the governor’s desk as New Jersey state legislature passes BLET-backed rail safety bill
From left: Brother Arias and Brother Vigil ____________________ A BLET-backed rail safety bill is now headed to the governor’s desk in New Jersey after an overwhelming majority of the state’s Senate and Assembly Members voted to approve the measure on the evening of...
Replacement ballots now available for BLET-NYSW contract vote
BLET members who work at the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYSW) are currently voting on a tentative agreement. Ballots will be counted on Monday, December 29. Eligible members who have not yet received a ballot should call the National Division to have...
Tentative National Agreement: Telephone hotline to request a replacement ballot opens on December 22
The dedicated voicemail line to request replacement ballots for voting on the tentative national agreement will open Monday morning, December 22. Eligible BLET members who have not received a ballot by Monday should request a replacement by calling the BLET National...
Division 269 honors retirees, presents Engineer of the Year award to Eric Ramos, at its 58th annual Dinner Dance
From left: LIRR General Chairman Gil Lang, Superintendent of Engine Service Kevin Flynn, Engineer of the Year Eric Ramos, and Division 269 President Karl Bischoff. ____________________ BLET Division 269 and the Long Island Rail Road General Committee of Adjustment...
Regulatory Win: The U.S. government cracks down on the cross-border operations of UP and CPKC
Today, on an issue of importance to BLET members and following direct outreach from BLET National President Mark Wallace, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the Federal Railroad Administration is cracking down on the cross-border train operations of both Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited. The FRA has determined that a lack of basic English language proficiency exhibited by Mexican train crews operating trains into the United States for the two railroads poses a serious safety risk.
RRB announces Tier I and Tier II tax adjustments for 2026; Also, Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles will increase
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) announced this month that the amounts of compensation subject to Railroad Retirement Tier I and Tier II payroll taxes will increase in 2026, while the tax rates on employers and employees will stay the same. The Tier I tax rate on...
New law better protects railroad workers from assault
From left: BLET New England Legislative Board Chairman Daniel Cadogan with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey at the signing ceremony. ____________________ Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a bill into law in December that better protects the safety and...
Vice President Pete Semenek to retire, concluding his 34-year railroad career
From left: BLET President Mark Wallace congratulated Vice President Pete Semenek on his upcoming retirement during the December BLET Advisory Board meeting. Photo by Bonnie Brihan ____________________ The BLET Advisory Board held its final meeting of 2025 on December...
BLET, BMWED to oppose the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger
Today, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division representing 53 percent of the unionized workforce at the Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Corporation, announced their opposition to the...
Voting continues as BLET members consider tentative national agreement
Voting continues on the BLET’s tentative national agreement. Ballots were mailed December 5 to 12,000+ BLET members. The vote count and the announcement of the results is scheduled for Tuesday, December 30. Earlier this month the BLET wrapped up its series of nine...
James Rasnick continues proud CSX Santa Train tradition for members of BLET Division 781
Every November since the 1940s, Santa Claus trades his sleigh and reindeer for a CSX train ride through Appalachia with a member of BLET Division 781 (Erwin, Tennessee) at the controls. This year it was James Rasnick’s turn. The 26-year member of Division 781 operated...
Workers at Dakota & Iowa short line vote to join BLET
The BLET notched its 14th organizing victory since 2023 this month as a majority of workers at the Dakota and Iowa Railroad (D&I) voted to join the BLET. The National Mediation Board certified the election results on December 4. The D&I is a short line that...
GA-4600 lifetime maximum adjusted for 2026
The lifetime maximum benefit for the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit Plan (also known as ERMA or GA-46000) will increase from $202,900 to $212,800 on January 1, 2026. At the end of 2001, Labor and Management agreed on various...
ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: Teamsters Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for 2026
High school seniors from the Class of 2026 who are the financial dependent of a Teamster in good standing (which includes BLET and BMWED members) are encouraged to apply for financial aid from the Teamsters Scholarship Fund by April 1, 2026. Scholarships are available...
Senate Commerce Committee holds hearing for STB, NTSB nominees
Congress returned from a holiday recess last week. Prior to Thanksgiving, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing to consider three nominees to positions at federal agencies that have oversight of the rail industry. Richard Kloster was nominated to be a member of...
BLET members ratify new contract with SEPTA
BLET locomotive engineers who operate regional rail trains for SEPTA have ratified a new one-year contract with the transit agency. Ballots were counted on December 11. The new agreement builds upon gains achieved in the previous round of negotiations and provides a...
BLET members ratify new contract on CPKC Soo Line territory
BLET has ratified a new five-year agreement with the CPKC for locomotive engineers who work on the CPKC Soo Line territory. Ballots were tabulated on December 11. The deal provides general wage increases of 17.5 percent (18.8 percent compounded) over the life of the...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with NYSW
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYSW). Ballots were mailed in late November. If ratified, the tentative agreement would provide wage increases and work rule improvements. Additionally, if ratified, NYSW...
BLET members at CN-IC donating bicycles to kids in need this holiday season
From left: Division 827 Local Chairman William Lafferty and Division 914 Local Chairman Allen Templet Jr. selecting bicycles to donate. ____________________ BLET members who work for the Canadian National-Illinois Central (CN-IC) are in the giving spirit this holiday...
Daily Headlines
STB issues draft environmental statement on proposed Texas border crossing railroad
Green Eagle Railroad’s 1.3-mile line would be part of a 19-mile secure corridor linking Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the daughter of a Teamster, as Secretary of Labor
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien recommended her for the job.
Trump taps former Pa. GOP chair to serve on Amtrak board of directors
Rob Gleason, a longtime resident of western Pennsylvania, has been an advocate for expanding rail service.
NS says route through Asheville, N.C., will reopen by March 31
Still to be addressed is the badly damaged section of track east of Swannanoa to Old Forts, the rugged Old Fort Loops segment of the line to Salisbury, N.C.
FRA personnel cuts could further delay languishing rail initiatives: Analysis
Concerned about such a prospect, the Rail Passengers Association and 22 other public transportation advocacy organizations on Friday, Feb. 28, sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, urging him to “preserve mission-critical personnel to avoid further delays in the administration of these passenger and freight projects.”
Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2 million worth of Nikes
It is said the trains are so long that train crews rarely encounter the thieves.
BNSF reports Q4, full year 2024 results
For the year, BNSF’s pre-tax earnings increased 0.5%, to $6.64 billion, while revenue declined 0.5%, to $23.35 billion.
CPKC dedicates new rail bridge between U.S., Mexico
The bridge is 1,170 feet long and cost $100 million.
Washington state calls for more, faster Amtrak Cascades service
Proposed bills would establish goals for cutting travel time, increasing daily roundtrips, and boosting on-time performance from Seattle to Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Two years after East Palestine derailment, rail leaders still urge safety reforms
Rail leaders highlighted the worsening safety trends across the industry and the harmful impacts of the precision scheduled railroading (PSR) business model that prioritizes profits over safety.
