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On July 13, the UTU called a strike against the Soo Line Railroad and BLE members honored the picket lines. Several weeks later, however, the BLE president learned that the UTU demands on Soo Line included four issues that were deemed to be issues which infringed upon the jurisdictional rights of the BLE. President McLaughlin wrote to the UTU president, insisting that these jurisdictional issues be removed from the list of demands on the table. The UTU refused to do so. McLaughlin then called an emergency meeting of the Advisory Board; and the decision was made to inform the UTU that if these four jurisdictional issues were not withdrawn, the BLE would authorize its members to return to work on the Soo Line. President McLaughlin wrote to the UTU president advising him of the decision. The UTU did not respond and the BLE president sent by fax letters to the general committee of adjustment authorizing the members to return to work. This action eventually led to the end of the strike after a Presidential Emergency Board was appointed.
While the initial reaction to this decision was mixed, after the BLE president explained the issue to the members, the support for his action was overwhelming. He explained that to honor the picket lines of a union that was attempting to undermine, weaken and ultimately destroy the BLE was in conflict with the BLE Constitution and Bylaws and was detrimental to the organization as a whole. He went on to explain that the sanctity of a picket line, whether it be the UTU's, BLE's or any other labor organization's picket line, depends on the rightfulness of its purpose. If the underlying purpose is to undermine another union, then the picket line loses its legitimacy.
On November 1, 1994 the BLE was free to serve Section 6 notices on the railroad carriers for a new agreement. In an unprecedented action the railroads served their notices first and stated that it was their intent to negotiate on a national level as they had done in the past. Shortly thereafter, the carriers filed suit in court in an attempt to force the BLE to bargain on a national basis. Their action proved that the strategy of on-property bargaining was definitely a threat to the carriers and an advantage to the engineers. Once again, the battle lines were drawn and tough negotiations were beginning.
Membership in the BLE continued to increase month after month. In the January 1995 issue of the Locomotive Engineer newsletter, President McLaughlin announced that two Canadian rail employee groups had elected to join the BLE. The Rail Canada Traffic Controllers (RCTC) and the employees of Goderich-Exeter Railway were welcomed into the BLE. In November of 1995, the BLE announced that its membership had increased each month for the last 18 months, bringing the total membership number to over 55,000.
As the year changed to 1996, BLE members learned of a new type of negotiations Dual Track Bargaining. This was a type of negotiations in which core issues such as wages, health and welfare, personal leave days, etc., were negotiated at the national level and local issues were negotiated at the local level by the general chairmen. This dual track bargaining produced a tentative agreement in May of 1996 and was subsequently ratified by members on Burlington Northern/Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and Kansas City Southern Railroads. CSX Transportation, Inc. reached agreement with the BLE shortly thereafter which was also ratified by the CSXT engineers. The stage was set for the opening of the Sixth Quinquennial Convention on July 15, 1996.
MONIN IS ELECTED INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
On July 15, 1996, 615 delegates were called to order by President McLaughlin for the opening of the Sixth Quinquennial Convention. This was the largest number of delegates to be assembled for a BLE convention in more than 50 years.
President McLaughlin was challenged in his bid for re-election by First Vice-President Clarence V. Monin and by California State Legislative Board Chairman Paul E. Morrison. When the ballots were counted, Monin was declared elected to the office of International President on the first ballot. The delegates also elected Edward Dubroski to the office of first vice-president and Russell W. Bennett to the office of general secretary-treasurer. As the gavel was once again passed to a new leader, President Monin addressed the delegates:
"Brothers and Sisters, I am proud to be your President. I am even more proud to be your servant. I am not one to stand around. I will start right now to lead a national mobilization effort to save our fair certification pay."
President Monin advised the delegates that his administration would use the modern technology that was available. He promised to work at the grassroots of the organization and to lead the organization with intelligent militancy.
Clarence V. Monin, a member of Division 78 in Louisville, Kentucky, began his railroad career in 1964 with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. He was promoted to the position of locomotive engineer in 1966, and had served the BLE membership as a local chairman, general chairman, international vice-president and first vice-president.
Taking advantage of the BLE's new computer capabilities, President Monin participated in a live "chat" sessions with members via the internet on January 23, 1997. He was able to communicate directly with members throughout the U.S. and Canada at the same time.
As First Vice-President, he served as National Chairman of the BLE Safety Task Force, bringing national recognition to this employee-based accident investigation team. In addition, he was directly responsible for the planning and creation of the BLE's Education and Training Department. In his term as First Vice-President, Brother Monin laid the groundwork and built the foundation upon which this new department would become an important and viable part of the Brotherhood.
Upon moving into the highest office of the BLE, President Monin wasted no time in implementing the ideas and vision that he developed during his tenure as first vice-president. He immediately established a Telecommunications Committee for the purpose of bringing the organization into the electronic age so that research, communication and the distribution of information could be accomplished electronically through the use of the computer. He brought additional members into the International office in order to have a fully staffed Education and Training Department that would be able to implement his vision for the department. As a result of these actions, on October 9, 1996, less than three months after his election to the office of International President, the BLE introduced its home page on the World Wide Web. Through electronic communications, it provides immediate links to the membership, other organizations and government agencies. The growth of this communications system is unlimited.
President Monin also reacted to the membership's message given at the convention in July by appointing a task force to work with the Federal Railroad Administration in an effort to ease the burdens placed on the locomotive engineer as a result of the federal regulation requiring certification and decertification of engineers.
In the first issue of the Locomotive Engineer newsletter published after his election, President Monin informed the membership that the harassment of engineers by carrier officers would no longer be tolerated. He advised that this long standing problem, if not eliminated, would be addressed and resolved either through diplomatic channels or, if such method fails, through intelligent militancy. Less than a year after his statements, CSX Transportation officials were levied a $15,000 fine for willful engineer harassment in April of 1997.
In less than six months in office and three years from the end of the 20th century, President Monin had the BLE prepared to move into the 21st century. The present administration is dedicated to increasing the prestige of the craft of locomotive engineer as the responsibility and productivity of the locomotive engineer increase. Changes that are taking place every day in the industry make it incumbent upon the Brotherhood to strive to maintain the job security of the men and women who operate the locomotives that power the trains across the length and breadth of the American Continent. The struggle of the pioneers of the Brotherhood in 1863 goes on into the second century of its existence as new obstacles and challenges appear to be met and to be overcome. Sobriety, truth, justice and morality, cardinal principles in 1863, are just as important today as they were well over 130 years ago.
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