Fall 1999
Volume 106 - No.3

Forging Rail Labor Unity

BLE President Edward Dubroski

My first President's Message focused on the need for unity within the BLE's ranks. It is only natural that I tell you about my thoughts and plans for promoting unity within Rail Labor, because history teaches that our fates as BLE members are bound up with the fates of our Brothers and Sisters in the other crafts.

During my first month in office, and with the unanimous approval of the Advisory Board, we provided members who attended the Southwestern and Eastern regional meetings, or have access to our web site, a chance to test their knowledge about just how closely all railroad workers' fates are tied together. We received 231 responses; now, you can see how your knowledge stacks up against those who answered our questionnaire.

  • Did you know that Rail Labor jointly negotiates most pension protection for railroad workers? (69.7% said "Yes")
  • Did you know that Rail Labor, through the Cooperating Rail Labor Organizations (CRLO), jointly negotiates Health and Welfare benefits? (74.1% said "Yes")
  • Did you know that, because of "pattern bargaining," railroad workers of all crafts get basically the same general wage increases when new contracts are negotiated? (86.5% said "Yes")
  • Did you know that, through the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department (TTD), the BLE regularly participates in joint lobbying and legislative efforts with almost all other Rail Unions? (77.1% said "Yes")
  • Did you know that the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, along with some Unions outside the railroad industry, have approached the BLE and asked that we discuss with them ways we can work more closely together? (82.7% said "Yes")

    • We also asked two opinion questions, and you can compare your opinions to this group:

  • Do you believe that we speak with a stronger voice when other Rail Labor Unions join with us? (95.7% said "Yes")
  • Are you in favor of holding discussions with other Rail Labor Unions to see how we can work together better, and whether a federation with one or more of these Unions may be in the best interest of Locomotive Engineers? (94.8% said "Yes")

    • The BLE has already moved toward closer cooperation with other rail unions. We have begun to coordinate the financial support services provided by the ATDD and the BLE. The BLE and the BMWE are jointly funding an actuarial study of the costs associated with reducing the retirement age below 60. And several unions -- including the BLE -- have agreed to fund a joint project to provide on-line access to railroad industry arbitration awards.

    More significantly, the BLE, the ATDD, the BMWE and the Transport Workers' Union have agreed to hold formal discussions on creating a structure to work even more closely together. These talks are based on a shared philosophy, a mutual respect, a commitment to democracy and a history of common positions on issues of importance to railroad workers.

    This united group would speak with a single voice for over one-third of American railroad workers, and about another 100,000 non-railroad transportation workers. It would be a far more powerful political force than the sum of the four individual organizations today. And the development of a coordinated bargaining strategy would make the carriers' goal of imposing an unsatisfactory "pattern" settlement much tougher to attain.

    I have chosen the BLE's representatives for these talks with the greatest care. Our American and Canadian members are represented, as are the legislative and protective departments, and freight and passenger engineers. What the members of the BLE committee have in common, though, is most important than their diversity ... the only thing these Brothers have to gain is the ability to represent their members more effectively through increased clout.

    Representing the Northeast on the committee is Amtrak General Chairman M. B. Kenny. From the Southeast is West Virginia Legislative Chairman D. W. Blake. From the Southwest is Union Pacific General Chairman E. L. Pruitt, Jr. From the Northwest is Union Pacific General Chairman M. A. Mitchell. And from Canada is Alberta Legislative Chairman D. J. Anderson. Naturally, the I.D. will make available whatever resources and officer or staff support are necessary to move the project forward.

    To progress beyond a defensive holding action against the industry -- and return to the days where we can make substantial progress -- we must forge a more lasting relationship with our Brothers and Sisters in other crafts than today's issue-by-issue coalitions.

    BMWE President Mac Fleming, TWU President Sonny Hall, and Bill Clifford and Leo McCann of the ATDD are prepared and eager to travel this road with us. I believe our decision holds great promise for the membership of the BLE, and for the other three unions. I also believe that -- by stepping up and taking the lead, rather than just sitting back and fending off someone's else agenda -- we will set the example for Rail Labor in the 21st Century.

    © 1999 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers