CLEVELAND, May 9 — Resolutions have been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in honor of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers’ 140th anniversary.
In the Senate, Minority Leader Thomas Daschle introduced Senate Resolution 136, which was co-sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). In the House, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced a similar bill on May 8, which is the BLE’s 140th anniversary. The House bill number is H. Res. 226.
The resolution was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“We are very grateful to these members of Congress for honoring us on our 140th anniversary,” said BLE International President Don M. Hahs. “This legislation is an accomplishment for all of our members and is an acknowledgement of the organizations hard-fought efforts for better representation of its members and for better working conditions for all men and women throughout its 140 year history.”
The Senate resolution honors the BLE for its many accomplishments and proclaims that “the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is an extraordinary union whose leadership continues to work hard every day — just as it did in 1863 — to protect members’ health and safety, to guard their financial interests, to give them an effective voice on the job, and to ensure dignity, respect and security for railway workers in the workplace.”
The Senate also “expects that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers will continue its dedicated work and will have an even greater impact in the 21st century and beyond, and will enhance the standard of living and work environment for rail workers and other laborers in generations to come.”
The full text of H.Res. 226 is not yet available.
For a copy of S.R. 136, click here: http://www.ble.org/pr/pdf/sr136.pdf