Spring 2000
Volume 107 - No. 1

Communications

UTU dead wrong

Dear Editor:

President Dubroski's letter of Dec. 17, 1999, was excellent and a step in the right direction.

What a refreshing change from the union I left with their secrecy, high handed ways, and thinly veiled contempt for the membership.

And has anyone bothered to ask the Little man what the plan is for pre-85 trainmen in his "unicraft" plans? "Blurring of roles?!" Since when?

The trainman craft and the locomotive engineer craft are apples and oranges, artillery and recon, pitching and catching and all attempts to combine them have resulted in a "jack of all trades, master of none" syndrome.

An honest examination of the issues and positions of the parties involved has led me to the conclusion that the current UTU leadership is either; A. Greedy, pig headed, and stupid beyond all belief; or B. In collusion with the carriers; or C. Interested only in the perpetuation of their bureaucracy; or even possibly D. All the above.

Whatever their motivations they are manifestly not acting in the interests of their membership. Nobody wants to believe terrible things about a brother, but when the evidence just keeps piling up, facts must be faced.

I think an honest presentation of the facts would turn a significant number of UP trainmen against the current UTU leadership (and I use the term "leadership" loosely). With this marvelous new invention known as the Internet, words can be disseminated quickly and it will become increasingly difficult for UTU leaders to hide the truth as time goes on.

We are already seeing an explosive growth in sites by and for rail workers - keep up the good work guys!

Solidarity,

BLE leaders doing what's right

Dear BLE:

I would like to tell our International President and Advisory Board that for the past year or more that I have had reservations as to the direction of our organization. After reading the recent letters from President Dubroski, I no longer have doubts as to the present and future goals of our BLE.

The leadership shows me that we are focused on real, objective and realistic goals that can be reached. I agree with the spirit of Dubroski's letters - we must not waste reserves of energy looking at the negative views of our opposition.

You are showing us out here in the field great wisdom and focus. That brings to us hope and pride. With 28 years of railroad experience, I have seen that we must not go down the paths that we once followed and we must be open to better and new ways of thinking.

An example is the recent thinking about a federation of ideas. That is exactly where we should head as that is how this great nation of ours was founded. States rights yes, but the union must survive. Washington, Jefferson, Madison and others had a vision and what we have today has fulfilled that beginning.

I have been a very active engineer since the day I was hired and will continue to support good, solid thinking. You have my full support with this new thinking. Thank you for rekindling my BLE fires.

Thanks again.

The good fight

Dear Sir and Brother:

Regarding Brother Maccarone's letter in the Journal (Vol. 106, No. 3, pg. 4), while I understand it was the UTU who first raised the analogy, may I offer my concerns regarding the comparisons of various UTU officials with heads of states of nations who are accused of some of the most barbaric crimes against humanity in the post Cold War world.

Those UTU officials may be guilty of many things, some of them not particularly wise or fruitful. We may all justifiably harbor ill will towards them for their actions against us. However, comparing their actions with those committed by various heads of state and their minions in the former Yugoslavia demeans the horrific nature of the acts committed by those with whom we should wish to compare them. It also trivializes the sacrifices made by those courageous individuals who fought the good fight to oppose tyranny in all its guises.

Make no mistake, the BLE is in the fight of its life. It is the "good fight." We didn't start the battle but I believe we will, in the end, be victorious. Let us not use the UTU leaders' methods to get there!

The power of none?

Dear BLE Brothers and Sisters:

I have a copy of the January 2000 UTU News, and in it, the center section opens out to become a 16" x 22" poster touting their "Power of One" campaign.

They ask you to display this poster to help sell their endless pack of lies. One thing really caught my eye and that is the portion of the text that says, "When the UTU wins a representation election on the Union Pacific Railroad - or any other railroad - the historical crafts of locomotive engineer, conductor, and trainman will continue unchanged." The poster is over the signatures of Little and Boyd.

If this doesn't shoot their case before the NMB full of holes I don't know what does. Here, in their own words, they admit that there is no blurring of craft lines, as their petition claims. The crafts will remain unchanged? Their only objective is to destroy the BLE. Somehow this poster's message seems too good to be true. If this poster were presented to the panel that will decide this case it would seem to me they couldn't possibly rule in favor of the UTU. Or am I missing something here?

R.B. Held
BLE Division 439
Boston, Mass.

Finally found a home in the BLE

Dear Editor,

It is the opinion of BLE Division 6 members from Boone, Iowa, that if we protect the youngest union member on the Union Pacific Railroad, we are protecting all union members.

Our goal is to give information to all, to help all, and not turn our back to anyone, no matter what union they belong to. This idea separates the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers from the UTU.

I have been a brakeman, conductor, yardmaster, S.Y.O. M.Y.O. M.O.P. and Locomotive Engineer in the UTU-E. I joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers after Local Chairman of Division 6 (K.T. Christians) assigned a summer vacation to me when he didn't have to. He looked beyond the mentality of turning his back on an engineer in a non-contractual union (UTU-E).

For this I commend the officers and members in the BLE Division 6 and want to express my gratitude. Thanks Division 6. In 27 years of service I have never felt more secure about where I belong than I do right now.

I finally found my home.

Highest regards,
 
David Lahner
BLE Division 6
Boone, Iowa

Journal cover model identified

Dear Editor,

I was pleased, and my husband was surprised, to see him on the cover of the Fall 1999 Locomotive Engineers Journal holding a sign.

It's been a lot of years since that photo was taken.

Sincerely,
 
Mrs. Carlos R. Williams
Wife of retired BLE Member
BLE Division 257
Sandusky, Ohio



The Locomotive Engineers Journal welcomes letters. Please include your name, address, BLE Division number, and phone number on any submission. We reserve the right to edit for space considerations.



 

Back to Spring 2000 Journal

© 2000 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers