(The Associated Press circulated the following story by M.R. Kropko on August 31.)
CLEVELAND — After 140 years as an independent labor union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is planning a merger.
Challenges from a rival rail union and emerging remote control technology persuaded BLE leaders to look for a powerful ally.
If the union’s members agree, the BLE by Jan. 1 is expected to become the centerpiece of a new Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division of the Washington-based, 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
“It was a hard decision we made, I guarantee you that, to even consider merging with someone else,” said BLE President Don Hahs, a former locomotive engineer.
“The BLE has had a proud tradition and it’s been a stand-alone organization for a long time,” he said.
The BLE has 59,000 members, including about 36,000 active workers in the United States and Canada. A mail-in vote on the proposed merger is expected to begin Oct. 20, with votes accepted through Dec. 4.
About 11,000 members responded to a spring mail survey, and 78 percent of them said they were comfortable with joining the Teamsters.
Hahs worries about the end of a long tradition of several unions representing various rail workers. But he said if there is one union left, “We want to be in a position to be the one left standing.”
The BLE formerly had represented just locomotive engineers, but now also counts as members conductors, train dispatchers and other rail workers at carriers such as Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National.
Hugh Sawyer, 45, a locomotive engineer in Atlanta, Ga., said BLE members see the writing on the wall. Merger supporters believe the Teamsters could help fight a growing use of remote control technology instead of engineers to move, combine and separate train cars.
“We will maintain our craft identity. The rank and file understands we have to do this,” Sawyer said.
It hasn’t always been that way.
Shortly after Hahs was elected in September 2001, BLE members voted by more than a 2-to-1 margin against merging with a longtime rival, the United Transportation Union.
The suburban Cleveland-based UTU has 135,000 members in rail, bus and aviation jobs.
Hahs says the rivalry is one reason BLE needs the Teamsters. “We had to figure out a way to get some more help, to get bigger and stronger,” he said.
Byron Boyd, also a former locomotive engineer and president of the UTU, said the BLE’s perception is off track.
“I have no idea why anyone in the BLE would think our goal is to eliminate the BLE,” Boyd said.
Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, on a recent visit to Cleveland and BLE headquarters, said transportation unity long has been a Teamsters goal. He said he shares the vision of his father, former Teamsters leader James R. Hoffa, to have one union representing all transportation workers.
He said the BLE has “a rich history, tied to the history of America and the building of the railroads. We’re going to preserve that by basically preserving their integrity.”
The BLE will lead a Teamsters rail division that Hoffa said could include other rail unions. It will keep control of its funds and its headquarters building in downtown Cleveland, while the Teamsters help it fight new battles, such as who should control locomotives as remote control technology evolves.
“They are a stronger union by joining us, and I think that’s what’s important,” Hoffa said. “We get along great. We share the same values, the same goals. We think it’s going to be a great mix.”
Boyd said he doesn’t believe a BLE-Teamsters merger would increase the rail union’s effectiveness because rail and trucking can be viewed as competing ways to move freight.
Robert Eisthen, a transportation analyst for Bartlett & Co. in Cincinnati, said he believes merging with the Teamsters would not change the BLE-UTU rivalry.
“The rail carriers will still be able to play the two unions against each other on some things, like remote control,” Eisthen said.
Industry groups say they’re aware of the merger talks, but can’t get involved.
“It is a union matter,” said Tom White, a spokesman for the Association of American Railroads, which promotes the interests of rail carriers.
Curt Warfel, president of the North American Rail Shippers Association, agreed.
“Unless it involves something like a work stoppage, most shippers aren’t going to get involved in a railroad union matter,” Warfel said.
Joanna Moorhead, a spokeswoman for the National Railway Labor Conference, which represents carriers in contract negotiations, said her group also was staying out of the union matter.