Organizing and facing new technologies are two of the BLET’s top priorities during the months ahead, according to BLET President Mark Wallace as he gave his State of the Union address during the union’s Western Regional Meeting in Bellevue, Washington, on the morning of August 19.
Growing the BLET through organizing is an important focus of his administration, Wallace said.
“Organizing is how we ensure that no matter how the carriers try to restructure, we are there protecting jobs, protecting standards, and protecting our Brotherhood,” he said. “Brothers and Sisters, our survival depends on it. Growth is our shield. Growth is our leverage. And growth is our guarantee that no carrier can divide us, no matter how many times they redraw the map.”
Wallace also said the BLET would continue to fight for member safety as the rail industry attempts to expand the use of new, unproven technologies.
“Technology is advancing rapidly. And the carriers see it as an excuse to cut jobs. Automation. Remote control. One-person crews. All pushed in the name of profit. But let me be clear: we are not anti-technology. Technology can and should be used to make railroading safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. It should assist the men and women in the cab, not replace them.
“We are not anti-technology. We are anti-exploitation. When technology is used responsibly, as a tool to support workers, to reduce risks, and to protect communities, we welcome it. But when it is used recklessly, as a weapon to eliminate jobs, to undermine safety, or to squeeze more profit out of fewer people, we will immediately oppose it with everything we have.
“Because the truth is this: Locomotive Engineers run trains, not technology. And the skill, the judgment, the instincts of a trained BLET Member cannot and will not be replaced by a computer or an algorithm.”