April 23, 2024 | Legislation, News
New England Legislative Board Chairman Dan Cadogan _____________________ The BLET is proud to announce the formation of the New England Legislative Board (NELB). It was established earlier this year to acknowledge the regionalization and expansion of the former...
April 22, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Safety, Train Length
Colorado State Legislative Board Chairman Paul Pearson ___________________ Colorado BLET members are working hard to secure passage of a major rail safety bill in the state’s legislature. BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna, BLET...
March 27, 2024 | 2-man Crews, C3RS, Legislation, News, PSR, Railroad Safety
On March 13, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Rail Subcommittee hosted a roundtable discussion to examine safety issues in the railroad industry. BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna represented BLET. During his...
March 20, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
A fellow Rail Conference member from the BMWED (wearing red) joined BLET members (from left to right) Ulises Flotte, Div. 20, Ryan Snow, BLET California State Legislative Board Chairman, Jerry Padilla, Div. 660, and Jacob Klatt, BLET Div. 126, at the rally in Los...
March 19, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin vetoed a two-person crew bill on March 8, but the fight isn’t over yet. BLET Virginia State Legislative Board Chairman Tim Craver said supporters of the measure are seeking to enlist enough members of both chambers to overturn the veto....
March 15, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Retirement, Take Action
BLET members have sent more than 2,500 messages in support of the bipartisan REEF Act (S. 1274) to members of the United States Senate since the bill was passed by the Senate Budget Committee on March 6. The Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act, or the REEF Act,...
March 14, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation
(Source: Virginia Mercury, March 12, 2024) Virginia’s legislative effort to require two crew members on all trains died after the governor vetoed the legislation on Friday, March 8. Following multiple train derailments in recent years, considerations of a similar...
March 8, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Retirement
(Source: Trains.com, March 6, 2024) The Senate Budget Committee has unanimously voted to advance a bill that would permanently exempt railroad workers’ unemployment and sickness insurance benefits from sequestration cuts, and end current cuts. Industry and labor...
March 7, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Retirement, Take Action
A BLET-backed bill currently making its way through the United States Senate would restore full unemployment and sickness benefits to all railroad workers. For more than 10 years now, individual railroad workers have unfairly had these benefits reduced by about $200...
March 4, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation
(Source: Virginia Mercury, March 2, 2024) As the federal government considers requiring two crew members on all trains, similar legislation to increase rail safety statewide passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News,...
