News Clips

"We are joined together, you dig out the coal and we move it. This isn't just a fight in West Virginia, if they win this, it will be the first fight of many throughout the United States ... We are behind you all the way." - BLE International President Edward Dubroski, at a rally supporting United Mine Workers of America members who will be effected by a recent court ruling banning mountaintop coal mining as a violation of the Clean Water Act and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA).

"A lot of guys have said they are concerned. If we were under better terms with NJ Transit, we could sit down and talk about our security concerns and come up with a solution. But under the circumstances, we're not in the mood to be hospitable." - NJ Transit General Chairman Robert Vallochi, when asked if the suggestion of a possible New Year's Eve action by engineers on NJ Transit was a negotiating tactic. (Newark, NJ) Star-Ledger, Nov. 4, 1999, circ. 396,865.

"This issue (the BNSF Availability Policy) is extremely important, due to the fact that not only will this policy interfere with the employee's personal and family life, but ultimately will be used as a discipline tool to intimidate engineers into going to work fatigued and place their lives at risk." - BLE Division 622 (Alliance, NE) Local Chairman Michael Thiellen, at a rally held in Alliance in opposition to the BNSF Availability Policy. (Hemingford, NE) Ledger, October 7, 1999, circ. 1,245.

"Wives can look forward to not having their husbands, daddies, grandpas, etc. around for things like ball games, recitals and the like ... Don't worry about saving him a seat in your pew on Sunday. Go ahead and take his seat at the band concert next week. If he is not at work, he is at home getting his rest so that he can go right back to work. You see, he has already used his two allotted days off for this month!" - BLE Division 500 Local Chairman Mark Banton on the BNSF Availability Policy. (Cleburne, Texas) Times-Review, September 26, 1999, circ. 8,500.

© 2000 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers