BLET Newsroom
The latest comprehensive, up-to-date features and news releases effecting the BLET.
Senator Bernie Sanders to address BLET members on July 29
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will address BLET members during a welcome reception at the union’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 29. If time permits, the Senator plans to engage in a question and answer session. Senator Sanders...
Operation RedBlock reaches 40-year milestone anniversary
Over the last four decades, Operation RedBlock has proven essential, especially given the highly unpredictable nature of employee schedules in the rail industry. ____________________ The railroad industry’s leading peer-based substance abuse prevention program turns...
Daughter of BLET member a candidate for Congress in Maryland
Sarah Elfreth (center) meets with BLET Director of Political Affairs Brendan Sullivan (left) and BLET VP and NLR Vince Verna (right) ____________________ The BLET is backing the candidacy of Sarah Elfreth — the daughter of a retired BLET member — in the upcoming...
PEB 251 established to settle ongoing BLET-NJ Transit contract dispute
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. appointed Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) No. 251 to investigate the collective bargaining dispute between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and New Jersey Transit (NJT). Pursuant to the Railway Labor Act...
Take Action! Don’t let the budget axe fall on Railroad Retirement
BLET members and their families are urged to keep the pressure on Congress to avoid potentially catastrophic budget cuts to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). Please use the Take Action area of the BLET website to contact Congress today, especially if you are...
Amtrak: BLET says carrier should put money into repairs, not executive bonuses
Days before widespread failures at Amtrak this summer, it was revealed that top executives received millions in bonuses in 2023. Photo courtesy of Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659 ____________________ It’s been a rough summer for Amtrak. Major electrical problems in the...
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Norfolk Southern reports Q2 2024 results
Operating income was up 96%, to $1.1 billion, as revenue grew 2%, to $3 billion.
Union Pacific reports Q2 2024 results
Quarterly operating income increased 9%, to $2.4 billion, as revenue grew 1%, to $6 billion. Earnings per share rose 7%, to $2.74. UP’s operating ratio improved 3 points, to 60%.
Vance pick for VP muddies push for rail safety bill
Election-year politics combined with a tight legislative schedule are complicating the effort to pass rail safety legislation stemming from last year’s East Palestine, Ohio, derailment.
NJ Transit strike averted for now
BLET Vice President Jim Louis explains what engineers are seeking in a contract settlement.
NJ Transit — almost on brink of a rail strike — asks Biden to intervene
NJ Transit officials asked President Joe Biden to form a Presidential Emergency Board, a move heading off a potential rail strike by locomotive engineers and trainmen that could have crippled the daily commute.
Teamsters endorse Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024
“The Teamsters Union proudly support the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act, and the essential requirements it includes,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.
Lawmakers introduce new bipartisan bill to push rail safety after East Palestine
The legislation was introduced by Railroads Subcommittee Chair Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and includes U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, as a co-sponsor.
Rushed railcar inspections and ‘stagnated’ safety record reinforce concerns after fiery Ohio crash
Major freight railroads are rushing railcar inspections, reinforcing known safety concerns raised by unions for years, but at a House hearing Tuesday they’ll present new evidence from federal inspectors that railcar checks are routinely less than two minutes per car.
NTSB releases final report on Lou Shuster fatality
NTSB determined that the probable cause of the March 7, 2023, Norfolk Southern Railway employee fatality was the crew not following Norfolk Southern Operating Rule 120 requiring a member of the crew to be on the ground at the private highway-railroad grade crossing to warn traffic.