25 months in a row!

BLE membership grows each month for more than two years

What started as a net gain of 43 new members in January of 1997 has snowballed into a two-year growth streak for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

With the addition of 125 new members in January and February, the BLE has gained more members than it has lost each month for the past 25 months in a row.

During the growth streak, overall membership in the BLE has climbed to levels not seen in decades. The 2,400 members of the American Train Dispatchers Department of the BLE, which merged with the BLE in 1992, brings overall union membership more than 57,800.

It is an amazing streak that has BLE President Clarence Monin smiling.

"When our members approved the union's Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Strategic Plan in December of 1997, they specified that we implement a comprehensive plan for recruiting and organizing new members," Monin said. "We've done just that, and the 25 month growth streak is an outcome of our efforts to implement the Strategic Plan. We hope to see our streak continue."

The BLE had another lengthy membership growth streak in 1995, when it reached 15 consecutive months of growth.

JUNE 20-24 BLE Southeastern Meeting Association

Convention Chairman Darvin Faust welcomes everyone to Biloxi, Miss., for the 72nd annual SMA. Hotel reservations can be made by calling the newly-constructed Beau Rivage at (888) 567-6667. Write Brother Faust for convention details at: 709 Burke St., Saraland, AL 36571; or call (334) 679-4818.

JULY 5-8 BLE International Western Convention

Chairman Allan McGunigal announced that Calgary, Alberta will be the host city for the 1999 IWC. Guests will stay at the Holiday Inn Downtown, and can make reservations by calling (800) 661-9378. For details, write: 8989 Macleod Trail South, Suite 309, Calgary, Alberta, T2H 0M2, Canada; or call (403) 640-4115; or fax (403) 640-4140.

JULY 17-21 National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen

The NASLBC holds its annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn. For details, State Legislative Board Chairmen should contact the BLE's Washington D.C. headquarters at (202) 347-7936. An agenda and schedule of events will be available soon.

AUGUST 9-13 BLE Southwestern Convention Meeting

The 64th annual SWCM will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, La. Chairman Bill Morris will welcome early arrivals on August 8, but registration and the annual golf tournament will begin on August 9. General sessions for the BLE and GIA will be held on August 10-12 and the final business meeting is on August 13. The Fairmont Hotel is adjacent to the French Quarter, and reservations can be made by calling (800) 527-4727 (U.S. only) or (504) 529-7111.

AUGUST 17-21 BLE Eastern Union Meeting Association

Recently confirmed for August 17-21, 1999, at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center in Hershey, Pa. Register at the hotel by calling (800) 533-3131, and be sure to ask for the reduced BLE group rate. For conventions details, write Arrangements Chairman John Rupp at: 333 W. Main St., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; or call (717) 766-5723.

Advisory Board March Activity

By action of the delegates at the Fifth Quinquennial Convention, summaries of BLE Advisory Board members' activities are published monthly:

International President Clarence V. MoninInternational Office: General supervision of BLE activities, meetings; BLE advisory board mtg.; Rail Labor Division, TTD, AFL-CIO, Washington; Rail Safety Advisory Committee mtgs.; Advisory Board; BLE-UTU talks.
First Vice-President & Alternate President Edward DubroskiInternational Office. Assisted president supervising BLE activities; BLE Building Assoc.; RailTex-Missouri & Northern Arkansas RR; Railroad Retirement subcommittee, Washington D.C.; AFL-CIO, TTD mtgs.; CRLO mtgs., D.C.; National wage talks; General Chairmen's mtg., St. Louis; Advisory Board, St. Louis.
General Secretary-Treasurer Russell W. BennettInternational Office: Supervision of BLE Financial depts.; Records Dept.; BLE Job Bank; St. Louis general chairmen mtg.; Advisory Board.
Vice-President Paul T. SorrowInternational Office, Assisted president and first vice-president in performing duties in connection with Chief of Staff position; BLE-UTU negotiations, D.C.; Assist CSX-East GCofA; Negotiations on CSX/NS/CSX, mtgs. w/ C. Roy, K. Pfeifer, Conway; CN-IC merger, Chicago; NS-North single agreement negotiations.
Vice-President Joseph A. Cassidy Jr. Joint BLE-UTU drafting cmte. work; Work under direction of President & 1st Vice President; Mtg. w/ Div. 502; Mtg. w/ Div. 547; PATH, work on 5 discipline case for PLB5210; LI cmte., MTA; Paperwork, study; St. Louis general chairmen mtg.; Advisory Board; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range mtg.
Vice-President & U.S. Nat'l Legislative Representative Leroy D. JonesWashington D.C. Office; AFL-CIO admin. mtg.; FRA-AAR-Rail Labor joint mtg., RR safety; STB authorization mtg.; AAR, competitive access; Destination D.C.; Mtgs. w/ republication staff on Senate Appropriations & House Trans. & Infrastructure Cmtes.; Amtrak hearings, FY2000 approp.; Cong. Napolitano, Steve Grossman, former DNC chair; Cong. Brown, Thompson; High speed rail assoc. gov't. relations cmte. mtg.; Sen. Hutchinson; TTD/Rail Div. legis. mtg.; BLE-UTU Joint Drafting cmte.; AFL-CIO political dir. mtg.; Cong. DeLauro, Clement, Kilpatrick, Kennedy, Cummings, Lucas, Gonzalez, Kind, Weiner, Granger, Boswell, Pallone, Quinn, Berkley; Senators Harkin, Lugar, Johnson, Kerry; Boilermakers' LEAP cong. reception; Testified before Senate Commerce Cmte. on grade crossing safety; general chairmen, St. Louis; Advisory Board.
Vice-President James L. McCoy Routine office duties; UP-SP merger mtgs., Ft. Worth hub; PLB4450; MidSouth Section 6 negotiations; SAC-P mtg., UP; PLB6170; Dallas/Ft. Worth hub agreement; General Chairmen mtg., St. Louis; Advisory Board; IC GCA office.
Vice-President William C. WalpertInternational Office; BLE Education & Training Dept.; Internal Organizing, Mobilizing & Strategic Planning Dept.; Publications Committee; Public Relations Dept.; BLE Safety Task Force; BLE Special Reps.; Advisory Board; General Chairmen St. Louis mtg.
Vice-President Edward W. Rodzwicz SBA894 submissions; CR/NS meeting on Eastern Region; Assignment under direction of the President; CR/CSX arbitration on seniority; CR/CSX seniority and implementing arbitration; Mtg. w/ S. Bruno; St. Louis General Chairmen mtg.; Advisory Board; CR/NS eastern region.
Vice-President Don M. Hahs UP/SP East, Dallas/Ft. Worth negotiations; General office duties; BNSF merger, San Bernadino hub; National wage/rules committee; Div. 366 and 139 joint mtg.; Review El Paso hub proposal; Kansas City hub, work equity and crew handling mtg.; General chairmen mtg., St. Louis Advisory Board; BNSF former SLSF PLB5444;Div. 383 mtg.
Vice-President Richard K. Radek International Office; BLE Decertification Helpline services; Director of Arbitration Dept; National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB) executive/administration; IHB general assistance, grievances; BLE-UTU drafting cmte.; UPSP merger, NY Dock arbitration prep., LA hub; Various NRAB arbitrations; PLB6071; NRAB award adoptions, special mtg.; FRA part 240.409, EQAL 97-72, 97-65, 97-54, 97-71, 98-44.
Vice-President & Canadian Director Gilles HalléOttawa Office; Mtgs. for BLE Training Centre; Mtg. w/ CN, re: beltpack; Mtg. w/ K. Heller and CCROU; Mtgs. w/ M. Simpson, M. Coughburn, R. Dyon; VIA special hearing; Mtg. w/ CN pension cmte.; Vacation.
Vice-President & Canadian National Legislative Representative T. George HuckerOttawa Office; Canadian National Legislative Board; Core Disability Management mtg.; Workers compensation board mtg.; Canadian Railway Office of Arbitration mtg.; Kootney Valley Rwy. mtg.; CROA web site mtg.; Plaque presentation, re: Black Heritage Month; CCROU-CP Rail negotations.

THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER NEWSLETTER

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Since 1863, a Tradition of Forward Thinking

BLE Publications Committee:
Clarence V. Monin, International President
Edward Dubroski, First Vice-President & Alternate President
Russell W. Bennett, General Secretary-Treasurer
Leroy D. Jones, Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Representative
William C. Walpert, Vice-President & Editor

John Bentley Jr., Associate Editor
Contact us: www.ble.org · (216) 241-2630


VOLUME 13 · NUNMBER 4 · APRIL 1999
THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER NEWSLETTER
is published monthly by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
1370 Ontario Street, Mezzanine
Cleveland, OH 44113-1702