By Dennis R. Pierce
BLET National President
CLEVELAND, November 23 — As 2011 winds down and the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all BLET members, officers and staff for their hard work and support throughout this most difficult of years.
We have faced numerous challenges this year, including attacks against our rights to bargain collectively and attacks against Amtrak that threaten to destroy union jobs while crippling the Railroad Retirement system. Also, we are nearing the final resolution of our national contract after almost two years at the negotiating table.
In spite of these challenges, I have taken heart in the willingness of our membership to get involved. In 2011 we kicked our mobilization network into high gear and your support has been tremendous. I am thankful for your desire to speak out and get involved to positively affect the outcome of important issues related to legislation and contracts.
I am also thankful for our talented and dedicated Advisory Board. These gentlemen may not hear it often enough, but thank you for your service to the Brotherhood. Our Local Division officers are some of the hardest working individuals in the entire Brotherhood, and they deserve thanks — not only during the holiday season — but all year long. Also deserving of recognition and thanks are our staff at National Division headquarters in Cleveland, our National Legislative office in Washington, D.C., our BLET Auxiliary, and our officers and staff serving General Committees of Adjustment and State Legislative Boards.
Thanksgiving is a holiday traditionally spent with friends and family, so it can be a difficult time of year for our servicemen and servicewomen who are overseas. Behind every soldier who serves stands a family who also serves. I ask you to join me in thanking them for their courageous efforts and to join me in saying a prayer for them this Thanksgiving.
This can also be an especially challenging time of year for BLET members. Many of you will find yourself in the cab of a locomotive or at an away-from-home terminal instead of at the dinner table with your children and family. Please join me in keeping all hardworking BLET members in our thoughts and prayers for a safe journey back home.
On behalf of the BLET Advisory Board, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.