Winter 2000
Volume 107 - No. 4
Winter 2000
Volume 107 - No. 4
President's Message
Gearing up for the New Year
As the year 2000 draws to a close and a new millennium approaches, it
is natural to reflect on the past 12 months and to look ahead to the coming
year.
This has been a year of great achievement for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
An historic agreement was reached on the Norfolk Southern, which made great strides toward eliminating the second class status of post-85 locomotive engineers caused by the UTU's infamous Halloween Agreement of 1985. A similar agreement was reached on the Grand Trunk Western.
A three-member panel appointed by the National Mediation Board unanimously upheld the historic operating craft structure on the Union Pacific Railroad, stalling the UTU's attempt to force a merger of the two unions through a hostile representation election.
The BLE negotiated a set of merger protective conditions with the BNSF and Canadian National- including 10 years of New York Dock protection and a guarantee that "cram down" would not be used to change collective bargaining agreements - in the event the two carriers merged.
We led the way in passing two-person crew bills in Kentucky and Wisconsin, and we defeated an attempt to eliminate union jobs and contracts on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
We defeated an attempt by NS to collect damages allegedly suffered because of an illegal strike by train dispatchers, and our victory in the First Circuit Court of Appeals stopped Springfield Terminal from subcontracting out switching work.
In Canada, our rail traffic controllers reached a new agreement with Canadian Pacific, and improvements were made to the Canadian pension plan, which included an increase in benefits for retirees.
We fought successfully to push through draft regulations on the use of new technology that preserves our skills and our work. And we drew a line in the sand on remote control by filing a petition with the FRA for a regulation to govern its use.
Our growth over the past decade continued and accelerated, as an average of over 250 new BLE members were initiated each month this year. We also took the best website in rail labor and made it even better, turning it into a more effective tool for communication and education.
However, much work is not completed to our satisfaction at year's end, and will carry over to 2001.
Despite having spent nearly two dozen days in national contract negotiations, we still have far to go to win a fair settlement for BLE members. Our efforts have been hampered by yet another substandard UTU settlement, which yet has to be submitted to its membership for ratification.
Our fight for the best possible deal to improve Railroad Retirement will carry over into the New Year, with the industry's appetite already whetted by the prospect of a huge windfall. We need to build on our base of solid House support for H.R. 3091 and take our battle for legislative relief from fatigue to the Senate.
We will have to deal with a continuing series of assaults against our very existence on several fronts by the UTU. And we will chart the BLE's course for the next five years in September at our Seventh Quinquennial Convention.
Without question, our internal agenda will be much easier to achieve, because it is not as greatly influenced by external forces. But the reality is that we will continue to face a tough battle in those areas - collective bargaining, legislation and regulation - where the arena is located in Washington, D.C.
The environment on Capitol Hill remains hostile, although the Republican majorities in the Senate and the House are very slim. With George W. Bush in the White House, we will have our work cut out for us.
A Bush administration means that the carriers will have a huge thumb on the scale, because industry executives and board members could occupy key government positions that will influence everything from choosing the next Federal Railroad Administrator to picking members to serve on Presidential Emergency Boards.
While the battles in the coming year will be intense, I have great optimism that we will achieve our goals. But doing that will require every man and woman in the BLE to become active and informed. It's much easier for the carriers to tell me no, than it is to tell the membership of this union no.
As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, celebrate those things we have been fortunate enough to achieve this year. And make a renewed sense of commitment to and activism in the BLE your Number One New Year's Resolution. I wish all those in the BLE family and our friends the happiest of holidays and all the best in the New Year.
© 2000 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers