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BLET WEEKLY NEWS RECAP 11-10
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Follow the BLET online and stay up-to-date on all the latest union news and information.
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VETERANS DAY 2023:
Thank you to our veterans and their families |
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On Veterans Day, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen thanks all of our veterans for your service to our Nation. We salute you for your contributions and sacrifices, which have made our country free and strong.
Veterans Day is an important day of remembrance for our members, and the Brotherhood has always been proud to support America’s soldiers and their families. Throughout our organization’s long and distinguished history, our members have embraced the proud tradition of service to America’s military heritage. Since the organization was founded in 1863, our membership ranks have included proud veterans who have served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Iraq and Afghanistan. Our members are rightfully proud of their tradition of service to America’s military heritage.
Behind every soldier who serves is a family who also serves, and they are also deserving of our respect and gratitude. Today and every day, the BLET salutes and honors all veterans. Thank you for your service and the sacrifices made by you and your families.
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| As a way to honor all veterans, the BLET installed a new flagpole at National Division headquarters earlier this year. BLET members attending a Secretary-Treasurer training class were on hand to participate in the dedication ceremony on September 14. |
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BLET REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH AMTRAK:
Ballots will be mailed on November 15 |
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| The tentative agreement with Amtrak includes a 30% general wage increase, 10 weeks of paid paternal leave & an increase in away-from-home expenses. Photo: Chase Gunnoe |
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The BLET has reached a tentative contract agreement for more than 1,400 locomotive engineers who operate Amtrak’s passenger and commuter trains over its 21,000-mile, 46-state route system.
The seven-year tentative agreement includes full retroactive payments dating to July 1, 2022, and if ratified, will run through 2028. Highlights of the deal include:
- 30% general wage increase (34.12% compounded);
- 10 weeks of paid parental leave;
- a significant increase in away-from-home expenses;
- improvement to bereavement leave, transitioning from 3 calendar days to 3 working days;
- addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday
- double current certification allowance.
TrueBallot, Inc., will conduct the balloting process. Ballots will be mailed on November 15, and will be counted on December 6, 2023 with results announced later that day. |
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MAJOR INVESTMENT IN PASSENGER RAIL:
Biden announces $16.4 billion for Northeast Corridor improvements |
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| President Biden announced $16.4 billion in funding for passenger and commuter rail at a November 6 press conference. (Image from White House YouTube video) |
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The Biden administration announced on November 6 that it will invest $16.4 billion for 25 passenger rail projects along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). This unprecedented investment will support over 100,000 good-paying construction jobs and will help speed rail passengers to their destinations. It is expected that these improvements, when completed, will shave 30 minutes from train travel between Washington and New York and a comparable time savings between New York and Boston. President Biden traveled to an Amtrak maintenance facility in Delaware this week to make the announcement.
This investment tackles several long-standing infrastructure needs, and major upgrades will improve tunnels, bridges, tracks, power systems, signals, stations, and more, allowing for increased speeds. Projects include expansion of the Gateway Hudson River Tunnel between New York and New Jersey, replacement of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore, replacement of the Susquehanna River Bridge in Maryland, replacement of the Connecticut River Bridge in Connecticut, and improved Penn Station access in New York City.
The NEC runs from Boston to Washington, D.C., and is one of the highest volume passenger rail corridors in the world and the busiest in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of daily riders. It also supports billions of dollars in annual economic activity, making it key to the national economy.
More information: The White House published this Fact Sheet with detailed information about the major awarded projects.
Video: Rail union members introduced President Biden as he announced $16.4 billion in funding for passenger and commuter rail. |
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READY FOR DOWNLOAD:
2022 BLET Bylaws available online |
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| Delegates consider changes to the BLET Bylaws while in session during the Fifth National Convention in 2022. |
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An electronic copy of the 2022 edition of the BLET Bylaws is now available in the Members’ Area of the Brotherhood’s website. The Bylaws book is available as a PDF and reflects changes adopted by delegates to the BLET’s Fifth National Convention. A password is required to access the Members’ Area to view and download the updated Bylaws, available under the Resources tab at members.ble-t.org.
Print production of the 2022 edition is currently underway. Hard copies of the Bylaws will only be made available upon request and will be distributed per Section 17(c) – National Division Rules of the BLET Bylaws. Division Presidents, Local Chairmen, General Chairmen, State Legislative Board Chairmen, and all Secretary-Treasurers can request hard copies of the Bylaws by contacting Executive Administrative Assistant to the First Vice President, Denise Doody, at 216-241-2630 ext. 217 or via email at doody@ble-t.org. |
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TIME BOOKS:
Opt-in to receive |
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 As our Brotherhood continues emphasizing modernization and digital communications, it is time to turn the page on its annual Time Book distribution. Time Books are currently being printed for 2024 and will be distributed to members upon request.
To request a Time Book, members must first log in to the Members’ Area of the BLET National Division website. Then click the “Yes, send me the 2024 BLET Time Book” button. First time users will be asked to verify their home mailing address. Returning users should also verify their address to ensure delivery.
A password is required to access the Members’ Area and opt-in to receive the 2024 Time Book. |
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TOLEDO, OHIO:
Proclamation honors BLET’s 160th anniversary |
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| From left: BLET member Alex Bing, Commissioner Lisa Sobecki, Commissioner Pete Gerken, BLET member John Esterly, and Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak. |
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| The BLET received a proclamation from the Lucas County (Ohio) Board of Commissioners in recognition of the union’s 160th anniversary. Lucas County is home to the city of Toledo, a major rail hub in northwestern Ohio. As part of the proclamation, the Lucas County Commissioners recognized the BLET’s anniversary and thanked the union and its members for the important contribution they make to the local and national economy. On hand to receive the proclamation on behalf of BLET was Brother Alex Bing, Legislative Representative of BLET Division 4 (Toledo, Ohio), and Brother John Esterly, Chairman of the BLET Ohio State Legislative Board. The BLET celebrated its 160th anniversary earlier this year and was founded on May 8, 1863. |
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Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen · 7061 East Pleasant Valley Road · Independence, OH 44131 · USA
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