BLET members working for AZER have reaped the benefits of a union job since voting to join the Brotherhood in 2024. Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659
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BLET members at the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) are enjoying the benefits of belonging to a union. Members say their pay, working conditions, and morale have all improved since voting to join the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) last year.
The biggest improvements came after voting unanimously (22-0) to ratify their first ever union contract last month. A few weeks after ratification, a big morale booster appeared in their paychecks in the form of a signing bonus secured in their new BLET contract, and the first of several general wage increases are coming soon.
AZER Grievance Chairman Elijah DeLaGarza said low wages were a main reason why these workers voted to join the BLET.
“Low pay was the number one thing,” said DeLaGarza, who was a police officer for 20 years before finding work in the rail industry. “We were not asking for Class I wages. We wanted fair wages. The cost of living is high everywhere. Now that everyone got that bonus… things are good.”
But it wasn’t all about pay. Working conditions and quality of life were often an issue. AZER engineer David Hysong said the company, under a former manager, “ran roughshod” over the workers. For example, someone holding a regular job in Safford, Ariz., could arbitrarily be ordered to work at a distant away-from-home terminal with little or no notice, driving as far as Clifton, Ariz. (50 miles) or Lordsburg, N.M. (75 miles), then having to drive themselves home after finishing a 12-hour shift.
“I’m so glad we have the union in now to stop stuff like that,” said Hysong, who worked over two decades for the Ohio Central and Wheeling & Lake Erie before moving from Ohio to Arizona.
Having a voice on the job, a seniority roster, and the strength that comes from belonging to a national labor organization like the BLET were also factors in why the AZER members said yes to the BLET.
“The guys wanted stability and they wanted better pay,” DeLaGarza said. “We have a seniority roster now. They wanted to have a voice backing them, and didn’t want to worry about repercussions for speaking out. We have that backing now.”
The veteran engineer Hysong summed it up best. “With 27 years on the railroad, I know firsthand the importance of solidarity, professionalism, and protecting the craft we’ve dedicated our lives to,” he said. “Becoming part of the BLET is more than just a membership — it’s a commitment to standing with my brothers and sisters in rail labor to strengthen our industry, protect our rights, and ensure a safer, stronger future for everyone working on the rails.”
BLET National Vice President James Logan Jr. is assigned to coordinate collective bargaining matters at the union’s short line properties. He said the BLET stands ready to welcome more short line workers to the union with the same level of respect and dedication shown to the AZER membership.
“At the outset, the AZER employees recognized BLET’s longstanding commitment to short line properties across the country and heard our message loud and clear: we value every train and engine employee, regardless of the size of their railroad, and we will fight for what matters most to them,” said Logan. “BLET Vice President Randy Fannon and his organizing team laid the foundation, and together with Short Line Director Luke Myers, we made the final push. The result was a unanimous 22-0 ratification vote — a powerful endorsement of solidarity and trust.”