President's Message

Open communciation is our key

by Don M. Hahs

International President

Another quinquennial convention of the BLE has convened and adjourned with new leaders in place to serve the membership. As the newly-elected International President, I proudly accept the challenges that have been placed in front of me in assuming the duties and obligations of the office I now hold.

In the past 24 years, I have served as local chairman of my division, general chairman of the Southern Pacific Eastern Lines General Committee of Adjustment and as International Vice President. My progress through the various levels of the organization has provided me with education and experience, but more importantly, it has allowed me to develop a keen understanding of the problems and feelings of the members represented by this great organization. That understanding will play a key role in the decisions I make as International President.

The delegates assembled at the Seventh Quinquennial Convention elected an excellent team of officers to make up the Advisory Board. The knowledge, experience, and talents of these officers will be used collectively in guiding the BLE on the course charted by the delegates in Miami.

First Vice President E.W. Rodzwicz, General Secretary-Treasurer W.C. Walpert and I have agreed that this administration will be one in which open door policies and ease of accessibility to all officers will characterize the manner in which the International Division conducts its business. The free flow of ideas, suggestions, and opinions will be enhanced through the open access manner of operation. Open communication, both internally and externally, will be a cornerstone of this administration.

The International Division, as well as the entire organization, belongs to the members rather than any one individual or small group of individuals. This is as it should be, for the rank and file members are the real strength and backbone of the organization. When our members pull together in solidarity and stand shoulder to shoulder in support of our positions, the effectiveness of our efforts become magnified.

As I stated to the delegates at the convention after my election, I am aware of the fact that there are many important, unresolved issues that must be addressed in an aggressive and effective manner. First and foremost among these issues is the ongoing negotiations with the National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC) in our efforts to reach an agreement on the issues covered by the Section 6 Notices served on the NCCC two years ago.

The fact that we have not been successful in reaching an agreement in two years of negotiations is unacceptable to me. Even though I understand that the recently-ratified agreement between the carriers and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), and the tentative agreement between the carriers and the United Transportation Union, have served to impede the BLE negotiations, I feel we should have been more aggressive in advancing our position with the NCCC.

We have met with Robert Allen of the NCCC and advised him of our feelings in regard to these negotiations. It is my intent to step up the pace of these negotiations immediately.

It has been more than 15 years since the unjust two-tier pay structure was created to inflate the profits of the railroad companies. It is time for this unfair pay structure to be eliminated! Our post '85 members provide the same service, are subjected to the same working conditions, are issued the same amount of discipline for rules infractions, and exist in the same adverse quality of life environments as do our pre '85 members. There is no acceptable reason for a difference in the payment received by engineers who provide the same service. Such a system can no longer be tolerated by the BLE.

The negotiations on health and welfare issues represent a difficult and complex problem. These negotiations will require innovation and expertise in the field of medical and insurance issues. The current trend in the rail industry and other industries is not favorable to our objectives on these issues. However, we cannot allow trends to dictate acceptability for BLE members.

In addition to the clear objectives of our contract negotiations, this administration is addressing the financial problems within the organization. We recognize that we have a fiduciary duty to our members to control spending and therefore, a program of fiscal responsibility is being developed for implementation. You may rest assured that this program will not affect the service provided to our members. The International Division will conduct its business productively, in an effective manner and in a timely fashion.

The dues increase that was approved by the delegates at the convention in September will contribute to the strengthening of the BLE. It will enable us to implement new programs and expand existing ones. These programs will enhance the benefits of BLE membership and will allow us to better serve the needs of all members.

The goal of this organization for the past 138 years has been to improve the lives of its members through collective action. That is the goal of this administration as well.

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© 2001 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers