Page 1 -- Turn to Page 2
CLEVELAND, June 12 -- BLE President Clarence Monin today announced his appointments to the BLE's five exploratory committees that will jointly examine specific areas of union operations with the United Transportation Union.
Last month the BLE and UTU agreed in principle to explore the creation of one organization that would unite the two unions and ensure the protection of craft autonomy and existing rights of representation. In order to begin the process, both parties agreed to appoint five committees comprised of BLE and UTU representatives.
The Oversight Committee, comprised of Monin, BLE First Vice-President Ed Dubroski, UTU President Charlie Little, and UTU Assistant President Byron Boyd, will act as a sixth committee and have oversight over the other five.
The five committees will report back to the Oversight Committee no later than September 30.
Structure Committee
Six BLE representatives and six UTU members will make up the Structure Committee, making it the largest of the six committees. Representing the BLE will be: Canadian Director Gilles Hallé; American Train Dispatchers Department of the BLE President Les Parmelee; BLE SEPTA General Chairman S.J. Bruno; CSX General Chairman Cleatus Roy; Union Pacific General Chairman Mike Young; and Canadian National General Chairman Mike Simpson.
Finance & Membership Committee
There will be seven members on the Finance & Membership Committee -- four BLE representatives and three UTU representatives.
Representing the BLE will be: General Secretary-Treasurer Russell Bennett; International Vice-President Ed Rodzwicz; Controller Harry Volpe; and Director of Records Robert D. Broka.
Legislative Operation Committee
Nine members will comprise the Legislative Operation Committee, including five BLE members. The committee will cover both state and national legislative operations.
BLE representatives include: Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Representative Leroy Jones; Vice-President & Canadian National Legislative Representative George Hucker; Arkansas State Legislative Board Chairman Tim Young; Texas State Legislative Board Chairman Raymond Holmes; and Alberta Provincial Legislative Board Chairman Don Anderson.
Media and Public Affairs
One of the smaller committees with only six total members, the BLE team will consist of International Vice-President & Editor William Walpert; Associate Editor John Bentley Jr.; and Editorial Assistant Allyson LaGanke.
Constitution/Unity Committee
Monin's appointees to the Constitution/Unity Committee include International Vice-President Don M. Hahs; International Staffer Chuck Anderson; and BLE Counsel George Cohen.
CLEVELAND, June 4 -- Grassroots mobilizing by union members was the key to defeating Proposition 226 at the polls in California yesterday, said AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney.
"Union members rejected the proposition with a resounding 71 to 29 percent vote," Sweeney said. "More than 24,000 new union member political activists emerged in California in the course of the campaign."
According to figures provided by the AFL-CIO, 650,000 volunteer phone calls were made to California voters in the effort to stop Proposition 226. In addition, volunteers canvassed 5,005 California precincts distributing literature and talking to voters. More than 24,000 union members and their families participated in the phone banks and canvassing projects. They also visited 18,000 work sites and held several "Get-Out-the-Vote" campaigns.
"A modern political miracle, the defeat of Proposition 226 by an overall 54 to 46 percent margin, sprang from voters' strong sense of fairness and union members' unprecedented mobilization against a right-wing effort to silence the voices of working men and women in our nation's political system," Sweeney said.
The defeat of California's "paycheck protection act" sent a clear message to other states that have similar legislature in the wings.
"Pounding working families is a losing proposition," he said. "Nowhere has this so-called national movement succeeded."
The Proposition 226 victory will give the AFL-CIO momentum to shift gears and go on the offensive, implementing its new Working Family Agenda.
"For nearly six months, we've played effective defense against the attempt to wipe us off the political may," he said. "Now it's time to go on the offensive on behalf of a Working Family Agenda, demanding that elected officials take action in support of the right to organize and on behalf of key worker concerns like health care, fair pay, and retirement security.
"Health care is about to be the subject of a major congressional contest and I want your help taking this opportunity to kick off intensive work on working family issues that will carry us into the fall. Thank you again and congratulations on a great victory."
CLEVELAND, June 10 -- Mobilized BLE members and donations from the BLE's PAC Fund helped to defeat California's Proposition 226 last week.
The BLE donated $5,000 to help fight the "paycheck protection act." Under PAC rules, $5,000 is the maximum amount the BLE can give to a single political cause.
"It was an unprecedented amount of money," BLE President Clarence Monin said. "We've never maxed-out before and I'm glad to see that our financial support led to such an important victory for working families."
Newly-elected California State Legislative Board Chairman Timothy Smith coordinated the BLE's own attack against Proposition 226.
"I mobilized the state of California on the day before the primary and used our phone trees at all division levels to get the word out on the importance of voting 'no' on 226," Brother Smith said.
"I feel we had a definite impact on the outcome. I believe this effort should become an example of how the should BLE utilize it's most precious asset the members in a mobilizing campaign to defeat our political foes and their propositions that would hurt us. Mobilization can and should be used by the Legislative Boards of this great union."
After jumping out to an early lead at the polls in the months prior to the vote, unions and other pro-labor organizations rallied against Proposition 226.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney called the victory a "modern political miracle."
WASHINGTON, June 22 -- BLE President Clarence Monin was elected today to the executive committee of the Transportation Trades Department's Rail Labor Division, AFL-CIO.
Monin will serve a one-year term as Vice-Chairman before assuming the reins of Chairman in June of 1999. The Vice-Chairman's position carries an automatic advancement to the group's top spot.
Robert Scardelletti, President of the Transportation Communications International Union, will serve as Chairman this year. He replaces W.D. "Dan" Pickett, President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.
"I'm pleased with the outcome of the election," Monin said. "I look forward to working with the BLE's sister unions in a combined effort to advance the agenda of rail labor throughout the AFL-CIO and other political arenas."
The BLE is one of 15 rail labor unions that comprise the TTD's Rail Labor Division.
From left, BLE President Clarence Monin and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen President W.D. "Dan" Pickett, who recently completed his term as Chairman of the TTD Rail Labor Division, AFL-CIO.
End of Page 1