Are you ready to fight?

BY Leroy D. Jones, VP & NLR

Are you ready to fight to make sure your Railroad Retirement is safe? Are you ready to fight to protect your right to have collective bargaining? Are you ready to fight to keep safety regulations and to gain new ones? Are you ready to fight for the right for your family members to have a good education and health care? Are you willing to fight for a better contract that gives you higher pay, does away with the post-85 employee issue, and gives you a better quality of life? Are you ready to fight for your right to fair representation and a right to join and belong to a union?

These are questions that you and you alone must answer. All the questions above can be answered "Yes," if you participate in one of the wonderful freedoms our country gives us, the right to vote and be heard at the ballot box.

You and you alone can make that decision. But before you do, maybe you should take a closer look at what is at stake. All the issues that were listed in the questions above are issues that the BLE and the union movement, as a whole, have worked hard to obtain and protect for the American worker. All the new laws and regulations that have been passed and implemented in the 1990s that make our jobs safer have been put into place because our union, the BLE, has been there every step of the way to make sure your voice is heard.

We have been saying the past few election cycles, every two years, that this is an extremely important election year. This statement is true now more than ever.

Take a look at what is about to happen and be determined by this year's November General elections. You will elect a new President of the United States, all 435 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the U.S. Senate. Also, you will decide in several states who will be Governor and which party will control the State Legislature.

Let's look at the race for President and why it is so important. The next President will most likely pick three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will affect our lives for decades to come. Their decisions could impact your union's rights and other issues such as how FELA applies to our members. The President will also choose who will head such agencies as the Federal Railroad Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, the National Mediation Board, and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, all of whom will make decisions that will affect every BLE member and their families. This is why we must elect a Democrat to the White House.

Let's look at the U.S. Congress. As I stated above, all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the U.S. Senators are up for election. The most important thing to remember about these elections is that they will determine which party takes control, thus which party controls the agenda. Also, remember that our next round of negotiations with rail management has just started. That means if there is no collective bargaining agreement worked out with the railroads, then Congress may have to decide our wages and work rules. There is no question in my mind, and I hope yours, that we need the Democrats to win back the House and Senate so we can have a fighting chance.

Just think how our position would be enhanced if our friends such as Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) were the majority leader of the U.S. Senate; Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO), Speaker of the House of Representatives and Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Also, Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI) would be chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; Rep. Dave Bonior (D-MI) would be the House Majority Leader and others such as Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) would be in the position of setting the agenda and advancing our BLE agenda.

Now, let's look at what's at stake in the elections in the states. In most states, the elections will decide which party will control the State Legislatures and who will be Governor. You might say - why should I care about who is elected at the state level? The answer is similar as what affect this election will have on our members as who controls the White House and Congress. The state elections will affect you in such issues as state taxes, where you can take your FELA lawsuit in the State Court system, and who appoints the Judges who hear your cases in the state court system.

If that isn't enough for you, then listen to this. The U.S. Government is in the process of taking the U.S. census that occurs each 10 years. Once this has been completed, our State Legislature and the Governor will decide where the boundaries will be drawn for the State Legislature seats and for all U.S. Congressional seats within that State.

This is the reason why, for example, that the BLE and the AFL-CIO got so involved in the California Governor's race last year and helped elect Democrat Gray Davis. The decisions Gov. Davis will make as far as where the lines are drawn for the State districts will have an impact on our BLE members in California. Also the impact that Gov. Davis has in choosing the boundaries for the U.S. congressional seats in California will have a tremendous impact on who controls the House in the future.

The leadership of the BLE believes it's time to stand tall and fight. The BLE has in place a major new program to try and reach our goal of having 100 percent of our members registered to vote. I'm proud to announce that the BLE already has 73 percent of our members registered to vote - the highest in all of labor. We want 100 percent.

The other part of this new program is to get our members to vote on Election Day or by absentee ballot. Our plan is to train as many BLE division legislative representatives as possible to help make our program work. As in all programs, it will only work if each one of you is provided with the information and encouraged at the Division level.

I believe that we have to do everything we can to elect Democrats and a Democratic U.S. Congress. This election is immensely important to our members and our families. We urge you to participate in the BLE'' program. We will give you the tools to fight. The leadership of the BLE is ready to fight. Are you ready to fight?

© 2000 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers