October 20, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
On October 17, Presidential Emergency Board No. 253 (PEB) announced its recommendations in the contract dispute between the coalition of unions (including BLET) and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). That PEB recommended raises with full retroactive pay for all...
October 17, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
The BLET presented a strong case on behalf of its members as Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 253 held formal hearings last week in the contract dispute between BLET along with several other unions and the Long Island Rail Road. It is expected that the PEB will...
October 6, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News, Unions
A former member in the 1880s, Fred Wohlenberg was such a strong supporter of the BLE that he had the union’s logo engraved on his tombstone. His great-grandson Brad recently contacted the BLET to express his family’s continued support for our union....
September 24, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
BLET National Vice President Jim Louis addresses the news conference regarding the ongoing LIRR contract dispute. ____________________ On Monday, September 15, after three years without a raise during a period of high inflation, Long Island Rail Road engineers...
June 11, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Tentative Contract, Top News
The tentative five-year deal provides retroactive pay and general wage increases through 2027. Ballots are due back to the National Division by June 26. ____________________ The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with the Terminal Railway-Alabama State Docks...
June 2, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Tentative Contract, Top News
On May 18, the BLET and NJ Transit reached a tentative agreement to end a three-day strike at the nation’s third-largest commuter railroad, which affected 350,000 riders across the Garden State and into New York City. Balloting is now underway as BLET’s 450 members...
May 12, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
The National Mediation Board (NMB) has summoned the BLET and NJ Transit back to Washington D.C. for a last-ditch effort to reach a contract settlement ahead of this week’s strike deadline. The parties will meet on Monday, May 12. A strike or lock-out could begin as...
May 9, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
The BLET National Division has produced a television commercial on behalf of its NJ Transit members, which will run on cable in New Jersey next week. The ad outlines the union’s position on locomotive engineer wages in advance of a potential strike or lock-out at NJT...
April 30, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
Trains don’t run themselves — that’s the message from BLET members to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and members of the State Senate and Assembly. The BLET, along with four other rail unions — BRS, IAM, TCU, and IBEW — are involved in contract negotiations with the...
April 15, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Tentative Contract, Top News
Unless NJ Transit offers its engineers wage improvements that close the gap with engineers at other commuter railroads, “self-help” where union members can strike or NJ Transit can call a lockout could begin on May 16. NEWARK — Locomotive engineers at NJ Transit,...
