FRA Certification Helpline: (216) 694-0240

(The following story by Kathie Dickerson appeared on the Coshocton Tribune website on December 12, 2009.)

COSHOCTON, Ohio — Engineers, trainmen and conductors who work for Ohio Central Railroad Co. voted to become members of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the vote was certified Thursday by the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C.

“It’s early, but we’ll be sitting down and talking to our employees about an agreement,” said Dave Collins, president of Ohio Central.

John Bentley, spokesman for the union, said the organizer worked with the employees for several months, and had nothing but positive feedback about them and the company.

“We’d like to negotiate a good contract and maintain a positive relationship with the company,” Bentley said.

As union members, the 47 employees who work from Coshocton will benefit from job protection and fall under the railroad retirement system, he said.

Ohio Central Railroad is headquartered in Coshocton and is a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Ohio Central is part of a group of nine short lines known collectively as the Ohio Central Railroad System, which operates more than 400 miles of track and moves about 140,000 carloads of material annually.

Ohio Central employs 140 workers, Collins said.

Bentley said the BLET is the oldest union in America, formed in 1863, and is about 55,000 members strong.