In a show of labor solidarity, BLE President Clarence Monin this month attended the inaugural celebration of James P. Hoffa, new General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Following the public celebration, Monin was invited to a private meeting with Hoffa to discuss common issues between the BLE and IBT.
Newly-elected Teamster General President James P. Hoffa, left, and BLE President C.V. Monin discuss transportation industry trends following Hoffa's inaugural celebration on May 1.
Monin and Hoffa discussed the changing face of the transportation industry, and Monin explained how railroad companies are buying miles of trackage and investing billions of dollars in Mexico.
Hoffa said his agenda includes restricting Mexican truckers from driving their rigs and cargo on U.S. highways. Hoffa also explained the Teamsters trouble with Overnite Transportation, a delivery service owned by the Union Pacific Railroad.
The two presidents pledged to assist each other, first by considering a joint venture in organizing strategies involving each union's internal mobilization network.
Hoffa issued thanks to BLE members who donated $20,000 to the striking Detroit News-Free Press newspaper workers in the summer of 1996 during the BLE's international convention in Detroit.
He also thanked BLE members who supported the Teamsters during their strike against UPS in the summer of 1997.
In the wake of the recent Amtrak accident in Illinois that claimed 11 lives, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and United Transportation Union are joining together to spearhead a national campaign to identify unsafe railroad grade crossings.
To build a national database of unsafe railroad crossings, the unions are asking their members and the general public to report problems to a special task force. The Brotherhoods are also reaching out for help to Operation Lifesaver, a rail safety organization that has made highway-rail grade crossing safety its mission.
Union members and others are encouraged to report unsafe railroad grade crossings to a toll-free telephone hotline at (800) 964-9464, or via e-mail to either:
Reports and photographs also may be sent to the Rail Crossing Task Force, United Transportation Union, 14600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44107-4207.
According to Clarence Monin, president of the BLE, motorists dodging closed highway-rail crossing gates and narrowly missing collision with trains is a big problem for train crews.
"There are 100 near misses for every one collision at America's grade crossings," Monin said. "The railroad companies and government agencies don't keep statistics on these incidents, but it's a perpetual problem for locomotive engineers. We hope to eliminate near misses and actual collisions through this campaign."
"The unions have joined together to save lives and improve the safety of every American who works on or crosses railroad tracks," Little said. "We intend to compile this information and let the political leadership in every state and in Washington know where the problem spots are located. We need to try and solve this problem before we have more accidents like the recent Amtrak crash, which claimed the lives of 11 innocent people."
The unions said the complete list of unsafe rail grade crossings would be made available to the public on their websites, (www.ble.org, www.brs.org, www.utu.org) when it is completed.
"The members of our unions know what is safe and what is an accident waiting to happen," Little said. "Together, we can make a difference and cut through the red tape and find quick and sound solutions to these problems."
The unions are also calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to step up efforts to design and test crossing safety systems that are more difficult to circumvent, such as four-way gates at railroad crossings.
"The BRS is very proud to join the BLE and UTU in an effort to identify the nation's unsafe railroad grade crossings," said BRS International President W.D. "Dan" Pickett. "If this country is sincere in stopping deaths at railroad crossings, they will begin installing four-quadrant gates immediately.
"With the technology available today, and with using the four-quadrant gates, accidents at crossings could almost be eliminated," Pickett said. "The decision has to be made that will force the motoring public to wait for trains at crossings. It is a proven fact that motorists will wait when four-quadrant gates are installed."
There are more than 260,000 grade-level railroad crossings in the country, but only about 62,000 are equipped with active warning systems such as gates, lights, or bells.
Efforts by the federal government to provide millions of dollars to states to improve crossings, coupled with an ongoing campaign to close grade-level crossings, and regulations mandating ditch lights on locomotives are paying off. Last year there were 422 deaths at grade crossings, down 33 percent from five years ago.
Of all the reportable accidents, 183, or 74 percent, were attributable to motor vehicle operator inattention or impatience. Of those accidents, 114 occurred at crossings with active warning devices.
That same year, 50 people died in collisions with Amtrak trains a highway-rail intersections. Amtrak trains struck and killed 69 other people who were trespassing on an Amtrak rail line.
Texas had the deadliest record of any state between 1991 and 1998 with 380 deaths at railroad grade crossings, according to the FRA. Illinois was second with 288 deaths.
An in-depth slide show presentation, describing all aspects of the possible creation of a new union between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union, is now available through the BLE's Education & Training Department.
Titled "Creation of a New Union," the purpose of the slide show is to inform and educate members on the 28 principles and exhibits that would serve as the basis for the new organization. The goal of the 59-slide presentation is to provide members with all current and accurate information on the matter.
The Education & Training Dept. plans to present the show to all BLE divisions before the fall of 1999, and at all BLE regional meetings this year.
The Education & Training Department staff began working on the slide show in November of 1998, shortly after the 28 principles were approved by the BLE Advisory Board and the UTU Board of Directors. The slide show has been constantly revised and updated to reflect the fluidity of the situation.
To schedule a presentation for your division, contact your Special Representative or the Education & Training Department at <james@ble.org>, or call (216) 241-2630, extension 253. Or write:
Education & Training Dept.
BLE International Division
1370 Ontario St., Mezzanine
Cleveland, OH 44113-1702
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