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BLET WEEKLY NEWS RECAP 08-11
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New Jersey: August strike authorization vote underway for BLET members at NJ Transit
The transit agency has $440 million for new luxury office space, but locomotive engineers haven’t seen a raise since prior to the pandemic |
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Five hundred BLET locomotive engineers employed by NJ Transit (NJT) are receiving ballots in the mail from the National Division seeking authorization to call a strike at the nation’s third-largest commuter railroad.
BLET’s NJT locomotive engineers have been seeking a new contract since October 2019. The contract dispute has been in National Mediation Board-sponsored mediation for nearly three years.
NJT has been insisting that engineers adhere to “pattern bargaining” with other NJT work groups. The BLET maintains that NJT members should have wages closer to engineers’ wages at other commuter railroads. With the exception of one other transit agency, NJT’s engineers are the lowest paid engineers working in commuter service in the nation.
“The absence of a pay raise during a period of high inflation has persisted for four years, which is too long. Our members cannot continue working for subpar wages. They have had enough,” said BLET National President Eddie Hall. “The employer’s delay tactics and priorities are causing some of NJT's engineers to think about leaving. Many options are available because of the shortage of engineers across the country.”
At an NJT board meeting in Newark on May 10, union members protested outside while BLET NJT General Chairman James Brown told the board members assembled inside that the transit agency’s plan to spend $440 million for luxury office space while stonewalling at the bargaining table is wrong. He summed up his remarks by saying, “Millions for penthouse views, but not a dime for train crews. This is no way to run a railroad.” A short video containing highlights from the May 10 protest and Brown’s remarks to the board can be seen here.
Members of the New Jersey Assembly’s Budget Committee also have raised questions about New Jersey Transit’s priorities and questionable real estate transactions.
Click here for more about this story. |
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| Attention NJT locomotive engineers: What you need to know about the strike ballot process |
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BLET members at NJT will receive a mailing from the BLET National Division over the next few days with voting instructions. The deadline for receipt of ballots is at 12:00 Noon EDT on Thursday, August 31, 2023. Members who are eligible and have not received a strike authorization packet by Monday, August 21, 2023, should call the National Division at (216) 241-2630, extension 222. When connected with the extension, please leave the following information:
• Your name, address, and phone number;
• The Division to which you belong;
• The railroad you work for;
• The date you were promoted to locomotive engineer;
• Your date of birth; and
• The last four digits of your Social Security number.
The above information is needed to verify membership and eligibility to receive a ratification packet. Email requests for ballots will not be accepted because personal data is required to verify eligibility before a ballot can be issued.
“I am confident that 100 percent of the ballots returned will be in favor of striking New Jersey Transit,” said Hall. “We will be one step closer to 'self-help' once the ballots are counted later this month and just prior to the Labor Day weekend. I want to stress that BLET shall comply with the rules of the Railway Labor Act. However, once released by the National Mediation Board, we will be ready to act. What we really want is a fair contract for engineers and to ensure uninterrupted train services for passengers.” |
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| BLET action gets results: NJ GOP leaders request meeting with BLET after NJ Transit strike vote announcement |
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Republican leaders of the New Jersey Senate and State Assembly have expressed support for the BLET and its 500 members who are currently participating in a strike authorization vote and have requested a meeting with the union.
A PDF of their letter is available here. |
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| South Carolina: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy among the speakers scheduled to address BLET’s upcoming regional meeting in Myrtle Beach |
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Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), will address the union’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Tuesday, August 15. Additional speakers scheduled include TTD President Greg Regan, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) President Mike Baldwin, FRA Senior Advisor Andrea Wohleber, RRB Labor Member John Bragg, and BLET Auxiliary National President Kathleen Bisbikis.
The BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Myrtle Beach will take place August 14-18. The meetings on August 15 and officer training classes on August 17 are free for BLET members to attend. There is an additional cost for meals. On-site registration is open to BLET members through August 14. For more information, please visit: bletregionals.org/myrtlebeach. We hope to see you next week.
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| BLET membership has its privileges: National Division launches new private members only Facebook group |
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The BLET National Division has been growing its social media presence. This month the union created a private Facebook group for BLET members only. Active and retired members are welcome to join.
Once you join, members and retired members are encouraged to invite your Facebook friends/fellow BLET members to also join the new page (but company officials are not eligible). Membership eligibility will be verified through UnionTrack, and all requests for membership on the new page will be processed as quickly as possible. If BLET membership cannot be determined (for example, your Facebook name differs from what is in UnionTrack), then one of our Administrators will contact you through Facebook for more information.
One important note: Members are advised that public comments will soon be disabled on the existing public Facebook page, but will continue on the new private page. Those wishing to comment on our posts in a protected, private group setting are strongly encouraged to join the National Division’s new private Facebook group.
Links to all of our social media outlets can be found here. |
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| Register now! BLET Education & Training Department to conduct Local Chairman training class |
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The BLET Education & Training Department will host an in-person training class for Local Chairmen from October 23-27, 2023, at BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio. The course is designed to help Local Chairmen develop and enhance the skills necessary to provide the best representation possible. Among other topics, this class will cover BLET organizational structure and functions, representation of members at disciplinary hearings, union leadership skills, and claim/grievance handling. Please visit the National Division website for more information about this valuable training opportunity.
The class is open to all Local Chairmen and Vice Local Chairmen with their Local Chairman's consent. Registration to attend is only available online through the BLET website at: members.ble-t.org/EducationTraining/RegisterLC. |
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| Norfolk Southern: In separate reports, FRA and OSHA say railroad’s safety culture still need work |
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Norfolk Southern is often only willing to meet minimum safety requirements and is nowhere near the “gold standard for safety” it is striving to be, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This week, the FRA released a 143-page report based on Norfolk Southern’s safety culture. The report has been under development for months following the massive February 3 chemical spill and fire in East Palestine, Ohio. The FRA has promised to conduct similar safety culture reviews at the other Class I railroads.
Also this week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it had reached a settlement agreement with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) and Norfolk Southern regarding safety issues related to the East Palestine derailment. OSHA opened inspections in East Palestine on March 2, 2023, to assess the Teamster Rail Conference affiliate BMWED’s concerns for the health of workers rebuilding tracks and conducting clean-up operations near the derailment site. Under the settlement, Norfolk Southern will pay fines of just over $49,000 for safety violations related to the clean-up and will implement a medical surveillance program for all affected employees who worked at the derailment site.
More information here.
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Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen · 7061 East Pleasant Valley Road · Independence, OH 44131 · USA
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