PUBLIC RESOLUTION REGARDING THE BLET NATIONAL WAGE COMMITTEE DECISION TO SEND THE TENTATIVE NATIONAL FREIGHT AGREEMENT TO A MEMBERSHIP RATIFICATION VOTE

WHEREAS, the BLET Bylaws provide for the structure of a National Wage Committee, including elected Members of the Advisory Board and elected General Chairmen, to negotiate the national freight agreement; and

WHEREAS, the National Wage Committee, as authorized and required by the BLET Bylaws, unanimously approved sending the Tentative Agreement to the membership for a democratic vote; and

WHEREAS, the National Wage Committee made that decision knowing that the United States Congress was contemplating preventing the membership from striking at 12:01 AM on September 16, 2022 by extending the cooling-off period or imposing nothing more than the Presidential Emergency Board recommendations; and

WHEREAS, the Tentative Agreement includes contractual provisions that improve the working conditions of the membership beyond what is contained in the Presidential Emergency Board recommendations; and

WHEREAS, allowing the membership to vote on a Tentative Agreement does not take away the right to strike, and that right is still available to the membership at the end of the current cooling-off period if the Tentative Agreement is not ratified; and

WHEREAS, the BLET Bylaws give the membership complete control to accept or reject a proposed contract through a ratification vote, and no union officer or group of officers has the authority to impose a contract that is rejected;

IT IS NOW HEREBY RESOLVED:

  1. The Advisory Board unanimously supports the decision made by the National Wage Committee to send the Tentative Agreement to the membership for their consideration.
  2. The Advisory Board further recognizes that our Bylaws require that the membership be given the right to vote on the contract, and fully respects their right to vote in favor of or against the Tentative Agreement. Should the Tentative Agreement fail ratification, every member of the Advisory Board will be on the picket line with the membership when the cooling-off period ends.

ADOPTED BY THE BLET ADVISORY BOARD on September 26, 2022.