INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, October 26 — Due to overwhelming membership interest, the commemorative video produced in 2013 in recognition of the BLET’s 150th anniversary has been made available on YouTube.
Founded as the Brotherhood of the Footboard on May 8, 1863, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is the oldest union in North America. The union celebrated its 150th anniversary on May 8, 2013. As part of the BLET’s 150th anniversary festivities, National President Dennis R. Pierce unveiled a commemorative 30-minute video highlighting the union’s achievements over its first 150 years.
More recently, the video was also shown to delegates during the BLET’s Fourth National Convention in Las Vegas on October 3, 2018. Due to significant interest from delegates, a copy of the video is now available online at:
“With Unions under attack like never before, now is a good time to reflect on what has been accomplished by Rail Labor over the last 150 years,” President Pierce said.
The video covers early railroading from the late 1820s and early 1830s, explains the factors that led to the formation of the Brotherhood of the Footboard in 1863, and highlights the Brotherhood’s many achievements for its members from 1863 to the present.
Funding for the video was provided by the North American Railway Foundation.