BLET, SMART-TD presidents update members following PEB 250

Brothers and Sisters of our unions: Presidential Emergency Board (“PEB” or “the Board”) 250 conducted hearings in Washington, D.C. this past week, concluding on July 28th. We both were honored to represent our unions and, by extension, the memberships of the dozen...

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U.S. Class I workforce grew in June

JULY 29, 2022 | Headlines, PSR, STB (Source: Progressive Railroading, July 29, 2022) As of mid-June, U.S. Class Is employed 116,251 people, a 0.41% increase compared with employment levels in mid-May and a 0.28% increase from June 2021’s level, according to Surface...

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BLET members ratify new contract with Illinois & Midland

JULY 22, 2022 | Contract Agreement, News, Short Line INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, July 22 — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) on July 21 ratified a new on-property agreement with the Illinois & Midland Railroad. The BLET secured General...

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FYI FYI: PEB Assigned

President Biden appoints PEB to investigate national rail contract dispute JULY 15, 2022 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News The United Rail Unions issue the following statement July 15, 2022: The Rail Unions who are bargaining as part of the Coordinated...

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BLET to hold strike authorization vote

BLET to hold strike authorization vote. INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 22 — In a conference call held with all BLET General Chairmen today, National President Dennis R. Pierce announced that preparations are underway to poll members to authorize a strike in the event one...

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FRA publishes rule on fatigue management

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 15 — On June 13, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published its long awaited rule on rail worker fatigue management. The fatigue final rule was mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The rule requires railroads to...

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Memorial Day 2022

Memorial Day 2022 MAY 27, 2022 | News By Dennis R. Pierce BLET National President INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 27 — Each year on Memorial Day, our Brotherhood pays tribute to the men and women who have given their lives serving in our military. It is an important holiday...

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FYI FYI: Official Notice Dues Raises

Official Notice Dues Due to several recent factors, the Division Executive Committee has proposed a $10.00 increase in dues for each member to become effective July 1, 2022. This must be approved by the members of Division 683 at our next scheduled meeting on June 2,...

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