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Norfolk Southern General Committee
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers General Committee of Adjustment Norfolk
Southern Lines meeting was held January 10-12, 2000 in Asheville, N.C.
 BLE President Edward Dubroski atop the BLE's Standard Building in Cleveland, Ohio. The BLE has been headquartered in Cleveland since 1870. The BLE's 22-story Standard Building was completed in 1925 and has housed the International Division since 1989. |
BLE members keep very busy in their day to day lives, so busy in fact that they might not know what their union is doing to protect their rights and interests. In this issue's focus section, we take a look at five major issues facing the BLE as we enter our 137th year.
BLE FOCUS
Cram Down
Talks between the AFL-CIO affiliated rail unions and the National Railway
Labor Conference to end the practice known as "cram down"
collapsed in late March.
Railroad Retirement Reform
A key economic item on the bargaining agenda is the improvement of Railroad
Retirement benefits, including increasing annuities to surviving spouses and
reducing the retirement age. There is draft legislation being circulated that
addresses these goals, but which contains serious flaws.
National Negotiations
Another round of bargaining with U.S. freight carriers began last November, with
the hope that agreements could be reached relatively quickly, as was the case in
the last round in 1996.
House Resolution 3091
This bill, sponsored by Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) would provide the
first meaningful legislative countermeasure for fatigue in over 30 years.
Defending Against the UTU
The BLE scored an historic victory on February 29, when the National Mediation
Board (NMB) announced that the panel appointed in early January to resolve the
BLE-UTU representation dispute on the Union Pacific Railroad found in favor of
the BLE on the question of establishing a single craft of "Train and Engine
Service Employees." While the crisis has passed, the threat has not.
FEATURES
President's Message: Edward Dubroski
Solidarity or isolation? It's time to choose
Guest Comment: AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka
Stopping aggressive employers from destroying unions
Advisory Board Profile: Vice-President Dale McPherson
Teamwork is the key to success
Department Profile: Accounting
Managing the BLE's bottom line
Furry Characters Teach Kids Railway Safety
Canadian BLE member conducts puppet show
Communications
GIA Dialogue
Collector's Corner
Brotherhood Obituaries
Last Runs
BLE-PAC Contributors
Designated Legal Counsel
FELA Series
News Clips
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Edward Dubroski
International President
James L. McCoy
First Vice-President & Alternate President
Russell W. Bennett
General Secretary-Treasurer
VICE-PRESIDENTS
Paul T. Sorrow
Joseph A. Cassidy, Jr.
Leroy D. Jones
William C. Walpert
Edward W. Rodzwicz
Don M. Hahs
Rick Radek
Dale L. McPherson
Leo McCann
Gilles Halle
T. George Hucker
Thomas A. Pontolillo
Director of Communications
John Bentley Jr.
Editor
Kathleen Policy
Associate Editor
Past Issues
