BLET National President Eddie Hall officially welcomed 36 new members into the BLET family today. Train and engine service employees with commuter railroad COASTER voted to join the union in an election certified by the National Mediation Board earlier this afternoon.
President Hall thanked the BLET’s newest members for their support throughout the organizing campaign. He said the BLET will get started right away working with the new members to begin negotiations on their first BLET contract. The new COASTER employees will be represented by the BLET’s Amtrak General Committee of Adjustment.
President Hall recognized those involved in the BLET’s organizing victory, including: National Vice President Randy Fannon; Special Representatives Matt Kronyak, Jorge Gomez and Brian Terpening; Amtrak General Chairman Pat Darcy; Amtrak Western Region Chairman Chad Skinner; and Amtrak locomotive engineer and BLET Division 20 (Riverside, Calif.) member Veronica Brown.
COASTER is the third new property organized by BLET since last year. Train and engine service employees at the Arizona Eastern Railway voted to join the BLET earlier this year, while those at the Florida Gulf and Atlantic voted to join in 2023.
The COASTER provides commuter rail service over a 41-mile stretch through San Diego County between Oceanside and downtown San Diego, Calif.