Winter 2001
Volume 108 - No. 4
Winter 2001
Volume 108 - No. 4
BLE Focus
Constitution & Bylaws
Delegates attending the BLE's Seventh Quinquennial Convention made several changes to the Brotherhood's Constitution and Bylaws during the week in Miami Beach. The BLE's governing documents had not been updated significantly in five years, and the delegates felt that many important changes needed to be made.
One of the major changes was to Section 1(e) of the
Constitution, which governs the process by which mergers or affiliations
with other unions are to be conducted by the International Division.
A key portion of the new Section 1(e) dictates that the International Division must conduct a poll of active members before engaging in merger discussions with another organization. The resolution outlines how the polling is to be handled, and states that official merger talks can only begin if a majority of active members are in favor of the merger or affiliation.
In addition, the resolution allows Canadian members the opportunity, through their leadership, to opt out of being polled with the organization as a whole, and have their votes counted in a separate referendum.
Among the other significant changes is a new Section 7(v), which forbids the members of the Executive Committee from entering into employment contracts which bind the Brotherhood beyond the official's five year term of office. The contracts must have a provision that permits the BLE to terminate the services of the employees for performance or business reasons. The resolution also forbids the use of secret contracts by demanding that the contracts be filed with the BLE controller within 10 days of the execution of the contract.
A dues increase was also adopted by the delegates. It was the first since 1992. All members in active service must now pay $27 per month in International dues. Active membership includes all occupations eligible for membership in the BLE regardless of status, except as excluded in the following sections:
(c) All members whose names do not appear on the engineers seniority roster, such as conductors and other train service employees, shall pay $8.00 $12.00 international dues, and such assessments as may be levied by the Advisory Board. However, once the BLE obtains the right to represent such members in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act through the National Mediation Board, they will be liable for active dues as outlined in Section 28(b) - Constitution.
Amend 28(d)
(d) All members whose names appear on the engineers
seniority roster but who are employed at less than the standard hourly national
wage level shall pay $14.00 $16.00 international dues and such assessments
as may be levied by the Advisory Board.
In addition to a dues increase, the delegates approved new salaries for the officers of the International Division. Between conventions, officers' salaries are to be increased or decreased to correspond with any change in the national average of engineers' annual salaries. The officers will also receive cost of living increases obtained for engineers through national wage movements.
The delegates also resolved to provide financial assistance to the GIA in order to help fund their involvement with "quality of life, safety and legislative issues pertaining to the welfare of BLE members."
The resoltution reads:
"The BLE will provide funding in the minimum amount of $25,000 per year to the GIA for the purpose of offsetting the spiraling costs associated with the necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in its support of the BLE and its concerns."
The funding will be derived from National Legislative Board funds that
can be used at the discretion of the National Legislative Board as outlined
in the BLE Constitution.
© 2001 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers