Summer 2000
Volume 107 - No. 2

News Clips

"We urge the leadership of the UTU to reconsider this decision. Working men and women nationwide clearly have a stronger voice when they are united." - AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, on the UTU's withdrawal from the AFL-CIO. Fostoria, Ohio Review Times, March 17, 2000, circ. 7,113.

"At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a much greater sense of community in America than today. Many more BLE members lived, worshipped and attended union functions together. Contemporary society is much more of a spectator society, with entertainment and recreation often being solitary activities. It's harder to get members to make a commitment to devote the time and energy needed to actively fight for our issues." - BLE International President Edward Dubroski, on the history of the BLE. Working Magazine (A Supplement to Northern Ohio Live), May 2000.

"Some of us bring towels and dip them in an ice bucket and wrap the towels around our heads. I've seen it get 135 degrees. Seriously. If you have air-conditioning, it's a different world. It is a safety issue more than anything." - M.S. Blake, BLE Division 28 (Tucson), on the problem of heat in locomotive cabs. Tucson Daily Star, April 21, 2000, circ. 91,798.

"It's a horrible feeling, a strange feeling - something I'll never forget. All I wanted to do was throw up. After something like that, the last thing in the world you want to do is run a freight train." - Jack Bokay, BLE Division 892 (Seattle), on the aftermath of fatal crashes. The (Portland) Oregonian, May 24, 2000, circ. 440,923.

"The engineers overwhelmingly recognize the opportunity provided by the agreement to benefit Norfolk Southern's success and are eager to help NS improve service and grow its business." - Norfolk Southern General Chairman Ray Wallace, on the new BLE contract on NS. Railway Age, April 2000, circ. 27,838.

"Whistles are essentially our last line of defense. As annoying as it can be for the residents, we feel when we are whistling, we are operating at our safest." - D.B. Little, Legislative Representative of BLE Division 294 (Bensenville, Ill.), on the furor over train whistles in the Chicago area. Chicago Sun-Times, April 20, 2000, circ. 450,418.

Back to Summer 2000 Journal

© 2000 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers