August 30, 2010: By an overwhelming vote of 6,305 to 2,452, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in the Teamsters have saved the Right to Vote for their top officers.
On the former Mid-South Railroad, the process of complete and total disregard of our contract by the carrier, coupled with non/misrepresentation by the operating craft unions began in earnest approximately five years ago. We don't really know where to start or where to end, as there are so many different things to talk about.
Rail freight carrier and passenger train companies have been finding ways to get their workers to do more for less for the past few decades. Considering how much the economy of the U.S. depends upon the massive amount of freight moved by trains, one would think the unions representing those workers to be very powerful. However, there are a dozen different unions, divided among craft, representing the various workers in the several rail companies in this country. To counter the divisive race to the bottom caused by cross-union fighting in the industry, rank-and-file rail workers of every craft have joined together to form RAILROAD WORKERS UNITED.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s ruling last week on the need for cameras recording locomotive engineers as they work is an attack upon all working people.
The failure of rail labor to stick together and to build a common strategy and a common platform has historically been one of the greatest impediments to railroad workers achieving their goals. Read more about the co-ordinated bargaining campaign in the Fall 2009 Highball.
Heather Boehlke, widow of Jared Boehlke, locomotive remote control operator, who was killed on Mother's Day, 2009, appeals for support. Send your letter to Congressman James Oberstar, head of the House Transportation Committee.
Almost 12,000 signatures of railroad workers and spouses from all over the United States who say that now is the time to reform railroad retirement.
You can help with the campaign to reform Railroad Retirement. Download, print and circulate the RWU Reform Railroad Retirement RESOLUTION, FLYER and PETITION. You can write your labor leaders using the letter here.You can write your Congressional Representatives by going here.
On Friday, June 18th, railroad workers across the United States will don black shirts in a display of mourning and remembrance of their fellow workers killed on the nation’s railroads in the last 12 months. The day of action, dubbed “Black Shirt Friday” is designed to heighten awareness – among railroad workers and the general public -- of the rising number of work related deaths that have occurred in recent years.
