CLEVELAND, December 13 — Ratification packets are being sent to nearly 21,000 BLET members, who will decide whether or not to accept the Tentative National Agreement (TNA) entered into earlier this month between the BLET and the National Carriers’ Conference Committee.
The ratification vote is being conducted by TrueBallot, Inc., and eligible members will have the option of voting either by calling a toll-free phone number or via the Internet. The vote will begin at 9:00 a.m. E.S.T. on Friday, December 16, 2011, and ends at 3:00 p.m. E.S.T on Thursday, January 5, 2012.
Locomotive engineers in active membership status (other than company officers) employed by the following railroads are entitled to participate in the ratification vote: Belt Railway of Chicago; BNSF Railway; Conrail; CP-US (Soo Line); CSX Transportation; Indiana Harbor Belt; Kansas City Southern System (KCS/L&A, Gateway Western, MidSouth, South Rail, and Tex Mex); Longview Switching; Portland Terminal; Union Pacific Railroad; and Winston-Salem Southbound. In addition, all train service BLET members employed by Texas Mexican Railway are entitled to vote.
Members eligible to vote will receive a packet from TrueBallot that includes a synopsis of the TNA, along with a ballot and voting instructions. In addition to the materials being mailed, voters will be able to access numerous resources on a dedicated page on the BLET website that will inform them on the issues related to the TNA ratification vote. That page is www.ble-t.org/agreement, and can be accessed by clicking on the link or from a button at the top of the main page of the website.
Members who are eligible as defined above and have not received a ratification packet by December 20 should call (216) 241-2630, extension 222. When connected with the extension, please leave the following information:
• your name, address and phone number;
• the division to which you belong;
• the railroad for which you work;
• the date you were promoted to locomotive engineer;
• your date of birth;
• your Social Security number; and
• an e-mail address if you would like your ballot and voting instructions e-mailed to you.
E-mail requests for ballots will not be accepted because personal information is required to verify eligibility before a ballot can be issued.