INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 24 — This week, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is mailing ballots to more than 23,000 members seeking authorization for the Union’s leadership to call a strike should one become necessary to settle the current national contract dispute with the nation’s largest rail carriers. This is a mandatory step required by the Brotherhood’s internal law as the Union approaches the point where self-help becomes a legal option to both labor and management.
Ballots will be mailed today (Friday, June 24) and BLET members will have until 10:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 12, to cast their votes.
Members who are eligible to vote and have not received a ballot by Thursday, July 7, should request a replacement ballot by calling the BLET National Division at (216) 241-2630, ext. 222. When connected with the extension, please leave the following information:
- your name, mailing address, and phone number;
- your date of birth;
- the last four digits of your Social Security number; and
- your email address.
The BLET has retained the election services firm TrueBallot, Inc. to conduct the strike authorization vote. In order to cast your vote, please read and carefully follow the instructions on the document titled “Strike Authorization Vote” that you will receive through the mail.
“Let me emphasize that authorization does not mean a strike will occur, nor does it mean that all railroads may be struck,” BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce said. “Now is the time to deliver a unified message to the carriers that their contract proposals are unacceptable to BLET’s membership and that we stand united.”
BLET members who are employed on the railroads where the dispute exists and where the BLET has representation rights for their craft are eligible to participate in the strike authorization vote. The following members may participate in the vote:
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by the Belt Railway Company of Chicago.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by BNSF Railway.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Cedar River Railroad Company d.b.a. Canadian National.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Consolidated Rail Corporation.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by CSX Transportation.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company d.b.a. Canadian National.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by the Illinois Central Railroad Company and Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company d.b.a. Canadian National.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Kansas City Southern Railway Company, including the following subsidiaries: Kansas City Southern Railway; Louisiana and Arkansas Railway; MidSouth Rail Corporation; Gateway Western Railway; SouthRail Corporation; and Texas Mexican Railway Company (locomotive engineers and train service employees).
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Longview Switching Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Norfolk Southern Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Portland Terminal Railroad Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Soo Line Railroad Company d.b.a. Canadian Pacific.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Union Railroad Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Union Pacific Railroad Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Winston Salem Southbound Railway Company.
- All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Wisconsin Central d.b.a. Canadian National.