“The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen exists to promote and protect the rights, interests, and safety of its members through solidarity, aggressive representation, and education.”
BLET reaches tentative contract with Springfield Terminal
Ballots are due by Monday, September 17. The tentative agreement governs rates of pay, work rules, and health & welfare for approximately 80 BLET members who work in the locomotive engineer craft.
Members who are eligible and have not received a ratification packet by Thursday, August 30, should call the BLET National Division at (216) 241-2630, ext. 222. When connected with the extension, please leave the following information:
• Your name, address and phone number;
• The Division to which you belong;
• The date you were promoted to locomotive engineer;
• Your date of birth; and
• Your Social Security number.
Email requests for ballots will not be accepted because personal information is required to verify eligibility before a ballot can be issued.
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce urged all eligible members to study the proposed contract and to make their voices heard.
“Every union member has the privilege and the right to vote on their contract,” President Pierce said. “I encourage all of our Springfield Terminal Brothers and Sisters to review the proposed contract and to cast their vote in the ratification process.”
Pan Am Railways is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England. Its primary subsidiaries include the Springfield Terminal Railway, Boston and Maine Corporation, Maine Central Railroad Company, and Portland Terminal Company. The combined system includes approximately 1,700 route miles and connects with four eastern Class I railroads (CN, CP, CSX and NS) and more than 20 regional and short line railroads. It is headquartered in North Billerica, Mass.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is a Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The BLET is the senior national labor organization in the United States and also North America's oldest rail labor union. The BLET is marking its 150th anniversary in 2013 and was founded in Marshall, Mich. on May 8, 1863, as the Brotherhood of the Footboard; a year later, its name was changed to The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The BLE merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and became the BLET on January 1, 2004.
