#Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

As a train derailment and fire forced evacuations in Minnesota on Thursday, a trio of Democratic U.S. Senators introduced another piece of legislation inspired by the ongoing public health and environmental disaster in and around East Palestine, Ohio.

The Railway Accountability Act—led by Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)—would build on the bipartisan Railway Safety Act introduced at the beginning of March by Brown and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride derailed in the small Ohio community on February 3.

While welcoming "greater federal oversight and a crackdown on railroads that seem all too willing to trade safety for higher profits," Eddie Hall, national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), also warned just after the earlier bill was unveiled that "you can run a freight train through the loopholes."

The new bill is backed by unions including the Transport Workers of America (TWU), the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO), and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Mechanical Division (SMART-MD).

"It is an honor and a privilege to introduce my first piece of legislation, the Railway Accountability Act, following the derailment affecting East Palestine, Ohio, and Darlington Township, Pennsylvania," Fetterman said in a statement. "This bill will implement commonsense safety reforms, hold the big railway companies accountable, protect the workers who make these trains run, and help prevent future catastrophes that endanger communities near railway infrastructure."

Fetterman, who is expected to return to the Senate in mid-April after checking himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last month to be treated for clinical depression, asserted that "working Pennsylvanians have more than enough to think about already—they should never have been put in this horrible situation."

"Communities like Darlington Township and East Palestine are too often forgotten and overlooked by leaders in Washington and executives at big companies like Norfolk Southern who only care about making their millions," he added. "That's why I'm proud to be working with my colleagues to stand up for these communities and make clear that we're doing everything we can to prevent a disaster like this from happening again."

As Fetterman's office summarized, the Railway Accountability Act would:

• Direct the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to examine the causes of and potential mitigation strategies for wheel-related derailments and mechanical defects, and publish potential regulations that would improve avoidance of these defects;

• Ensure that employees can safely inspect trains by prohibiting trains from being moved during brake inspections;

• Require that the mechanic that actually inspects a locomotive or rail car attests to its safety;

• Direct the FRA to review regulations relating to the operation of trains in switchyards, and direct railroads to update their plans submitted under the FRA's existing Risk Reduction Program (RRP) to incorporate considerations regarding switchyard practices;

• Require the FRA to make Class 1 railroad safety waivers public in one online location;

• Require railroads to ensure that communication checks between the front and end of a train do not fail, and that emergency brake signals reach the end of a train;

• Ensure Class 1 railroad participation in the confidential Close Call Reporting System by requiring all railroads that have paid the maximum civil penalty for a safety violation to join; and

• Ensure that railroads provide warning equipment (such as white disks, red flags, or whistles) to railroad watchmen and lookouts.

A preliminary report released in late February by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggests an overheated wheel bearing may have caused the disastrous derailment in Ohio. The initial findings added fuel to demands that federal lawmakers enact new rules for the rail industry.

"Rail lobbyists have fought for years to protect their profits at the expense of communities like East Palestine," Brown noted Thursday.

Casey stressed that "along with the Railway Safety Act, this bill will make freight rail safer and protect communities from preventable tragedies."

In addition to pushing those two bills, Brown, Casey, and Fetterman have responded to the East Palestine disaster by introducing the Assistance for Local Heroes During Train Crises Act and—along with other colleagues—writing to Norfolk Southern president and CEO Alan Shaw, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, and U.S. Environmental Protection Administrator Michael Regan with various concerns and demands.

[follow-up-news]

Workers at two of the country's biggest rail unions split over a tentative contract their leaders had hashed out with freight rail companies — leaving open the possibility of a debilitating rail strike in the middle of the holiday season.

The 28,000-member SMART-TD union, which represents rail conductors, rejected the contract after one of its divisions voted it down.

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which represents some 24,000 freight train engineers, voted in favor of the deal.

The no vote is a rejection of the compromise worked out in September with the help of the White House and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. Several unions have signaled their discontent primarily over the proposed contract’s lack of fully paid sick leave and other scheduling requirements.

Union leaders said Monday they were ready to go back to the bargaining table.

[atlantisist]

Four conflicts during the late 1940s highlighted the problems faced by organized labor at the time. The first pitted a few union leaders against a sometimes angry President Truman. The President, a liberal New Dealer, ordinarily supported blue-collar demands for change. But he had been distressed by the strikes in January 1946, which he believed threatened his efforts at reconversion, and he grew alarmed when faced with strikes by coal miners two months later and by railroad workers in May. Truman could not prevent the miners from striking, but he was determined to stop the railroad workers. Trains, after all, were vital to the American economy, for both passenger and freight travel, in the days before widespread superhighway transportation. After weeks of bickering with the carriers and twenty rail unions, Truman thought he had an agreement in hand. But leaders of the two largest unions, A.F. Whitney of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and Alvanley Johnston of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, refused to toe the line. Both were old friends of the President, who brought them to the Oval Office three days before the strike deadline and lectured them, "If you think I'm going to sit here and let you tie up this whole country, you're crazy as hell." Whitney said he was sorry: "We've got to go through with this, Mr. President. Our men are demanding it." Truman responded by giving them forty-eight hours to reach a settlement. "If you don't, I'm going to take over the railroads in the name of the government." When the workers nonetheless went out on strike, Truman became as angry as any American President of recent times. On Friday, may 24, he marched into a Cabinet meeting and announced he would go to Capitol Hill and seek an extraordinarily draconian law. it would have authorized him to draft strikers into the military, without regard to age or number of dependents, whenever a walkout threatened to create a national emergency. Truman even had aides prepare a speech to be given over the radio that evening. It was virtually irrational, assailing the patriotism of "effete union leaders" like Whitney, Johnston, Murray and others, whom he also associated with Communism. "Every single one of the strikers and their demigog leaders have been living in luxury, working when they pleased and drawing from four to forty times the pay of a fighting soldier." Truman's draft closed, "Let's give the country back to the people. Let's put transportation and production back to work, hang a few traitors, and make our country safe for democracy." Charles Ross, Truman's old friend and press secretary, was "horrified" by the diatribe. Clark Clifford, Truman's top policy adviser, recalled that it was surely one of the most intemperate documents ever written by a President." Ross and others managed to calm Truman down, and his radio address that evening was forceful but temperate. Still, he insisted on going to Capitol Hill the next day, by which time everyone knew his intent. As he entered the House, he received a standing ovation, whereupon he outlined his tough proposals. When he was almost finished, his chief labor adviser, John Steelman, informed Clifford, who was in an anteroom off the House floord, that the unions had settled on the terms proposed by the President. Clifford wrote a note about the settlement and had it delivered to Truman, who paused and then read it to thunderous applause. Clifford and others considered it a victory for Truman, who dropped his demands for legislative action. But many liberals and labor leaders were deeply frightened. The New Republic, a leading liberal journal, called Trumans congressional message the "most vicious piece of anti-union legislation ever introduced by an American President."

James T. Patterson — Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974

[reasonsforhope]

Source:

"More than 60% of U.S. unionized railroad workers at major railroads are now are covered by new sick leave agreements, a trade group said Monday [June 5th].

Last year railroads came under fire for not agreeing to paid sick leave during labor negotiations.

In December, President Joe Biden signed legislation to block a national U.S. railroad strike that could have devastated the American economy after some unions voted against the deal over a lack of paid sick leave.

“For months, railroads have been at the table individually with their unions to find a path forward on the quality-of-life matters that came into the spotlight during the round’s final days," Association of American Railroads CEO Ian Jefferies said.

“Not all of these agreements are the same. However, they are the result of good faith bargaining and a shared desire to demonstrate the value rail employees provide to their companies, their families and the overall economy."

Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers -Transportation Division (SMART-TD) said Monday they reached an agreement that immediately provides nearly 300 yardmasters with four new days of paid sick leave per year while also offering flexibility to use up to three additional days of existing paid time off as sick leave.

Norfolk Southern said all of its unionized workers are now covered by sick leave agreements.

Also on Monday, Union Pacific (UNP.N) reached an agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) to provide paid sick leave to for its 5,600 locomotive engineers.

Under the agreement effective Aug. 1, members will have up to seven paid days of sick leave. Five days will be considered paid sick days with the ability to convert two additional paid leave days for use as paid sick time."

-via Reuters, June 5, 2023

biden 2024 - making things work

[meowmuffins7979]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Needles California Tshirt Men Large Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Trainmen.

[iowafed]

Labor History

Labor Quote: Dennis Pierce“We stood shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in SMART-TD and others in rail labor throughout this process, and we will continue to stand in solidarity with them as we approach the finish line in this round of negotiations.”Pierce is President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Today’s Labor HistoryThis week’s Labor History…

[briefnewschannel]

If rail strike begins, every union will honor picket line, says BLET

If rail strike begins, every union will honor picket line, says BLET

Shipping containers sit at a railway facility waiting to be transferred. Scott Olson | Getty Images One of the largest rail labor unions, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), will honor the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) strike date of December 5, the first date upon which a rail union to reject the proposed labor deal with freight railroad companies can…

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

[don-lichterman]

NJT wants court to ban engineers union work stoppages

NJT wants court to ban engineers union work stoppages

NJT wants court to ban engineers union work stoppages

[zvaigzdelasas]

Rail workers are set to vote on the tentative deal reached between unions and railroads Thursday morning. If any of the 12 rail unions fail to ratify a new contract, nearly 125,000 rail workers could be headed for a strike.[...]

The agreement would mandate two-person crews, cap health care costs and allow workers to take time off for medical appointments or other scheduled events without being penalized, all key concessions won by unions.

The deal also provides 24 percent raises over five years, back pay and cash bonuses, similar terms to those offered by the White House-appointed presidential emergency board (PEB) last month.

But nearly 36 hours after the agreement was announced, rail workers said they still didn’t have concrete details on sick leave and voluntarily assigned days off. That’s raised some doubts about just how strong the new contract language is.[...]

“Workers are pissed off and this time we actually have a lot of leverage,” said a locomotive engineer at Norfolk Southern who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. “I know I’m not going to accept anything less than what we deserve.”

The two largest rail unions warned during negotiations that their members wouldn’t approve a contract that doesn’t quell outrage over unpredictable scheduling, unsafe working conditions and a lack of sick leave. [...]

Another dilemma is that the tentative agreement reached Thursday only applies to SMART and the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the two largest rail unions, but not the other unions that agreed to contracts based on the less worker-friendly PEB guidance.

Those include nearly 5,000 rail workers at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who voted to reject the PEB contract and authorize a strike last week. The union said it would resume negotiations this week and hold off on a strike until at least Sept. 29. [...]

Vote counting is certain to drag into October, potentially setting up a key deadline at the height of election season.

18 Sep 22

[whumpster-fire]

But the unions representing workers who operate the trains day to day, such as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, have had far less success reaching agreement on paid sick days. “The railroads went to the non-operating crafts first and cut a deal with them,” said Mark Wallace, first vice-president of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “If a carman [who inspects and repairs railcars] has to call in sick and doesn’t come to work, the train will still run. If the engineer or conductor has to call in sick, the train is probably not going to go that day.”

This may just be me but I think "operating a fucking train" is pretty high up there on the list of jobs you should not make people work while sick

win!

[macmanx]

They're tired of unpredictable, inflexible work schedules. They're tired of being penalized for taking days off when they're sick or tending to a family emergency. They want a better quality of life.

"This abusive and punitive attendance policy is breaking apart families and causing locomotive engineers and other railroaders to come to work dangerously fatigued," the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said in a statement in May.

[wumblr]

Our Unions remain at the bargaining table and have given the rail carriers a proposal that we would be willing to submit to our members for ratification, but it is the rail carriers that refuse to reach an acceptable agreement. In fact, it was abundantly clear from our negotiations over the past few days that the railroads show no intentions of reaching an agreement with our Unions, but they cannot legally lock out our members until the end of the cooling-off period. Instead, they are locking out their customers beginning on Monday and further harming the supply chain in an effort to provoke congressional action.

this should be a bigger news story, and it probably will be tomorrow or next week -- rail unions do not want congressional intervention

[partisan-by-default]

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation union, who work for the BNSF Railway, initiated steps to go on strike following the railroad’s announcement of its so-called “Hi-Viz” attendance policy. Collectively, the unions represent more than 17,000 active members at the BNSF.

The unions argue that the pending policy, which BNSF plans to implement Feb. 1, repudiates numerous collectively bargained agreements currently in place throughout the BNSF system. “This unprecedented BNSF policy repudiates direct and clear contract language, and in application, will attempt to force our members to report for duty without regard for their medical condition as we struggle to come out of a pandemic,” BLET National President Dennis Pierce and SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said in a news release.

BNSF’s new Hi-Viz policy is a points-based system which, according to the unions, penalizes employees — who in many cases have no assigned days off — any time they take time off work for practically any reason. In an FAQ that BNSF sent to its employees, the railroad said it “must improve crew availability to remain competitive in the industry” and that their revised Hi-Viz program helps with this issue “by incentivizing consistent and reliable attendance.” BNSF claims that a reduction in absenteeism will improve predictability of work assignments. The unions counter that if the BNSF instead focused efforts on predictable scheduling of assignments and management of its furloughed employees, there would be no need to impose attendance policies.

[annacaffeina]

"WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve an ongoing dispute between the New Jersey Transit Rail and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The appointment of the Board is required under the Railway Labor Act because a party to the dispute has requested a Board.

The Presidential Emergency Board will provide a structure that allows the two sides to attempt to resolve their disagreements. Within 30 days following its establishment, the Presidential Emergency Board will produce a report to the President with its recommendations for settling the dispute.

President Biden also announced that he intends to appoint the following members to Presidential Emergency Board No. 251:

Elizabeth C. Wesman, Chair, Presidential Emergency Board No. 251

Barbara C. Deinhardt, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 251

Lisa Salkovitz Kohn, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 251

Elizabeth C. Wesman, Chair, Presidential Emergency Board No. 251"

[personalmains]

Hamilton pocket watch

Hamilton’s most popular 18-size movement, however, was the 21-jewel Grade No. 936 from 1893 to 1915, upgrading its escapement around 1906. Lever-set watches became a railroad standard between 19, but Hamilton’s standards were more than a decade ahead of the curve. As opposed to “pendant-set” (push-pull crown) types, lever-set watches were somewhat inconvenient, but they were much more difficult to accidentally un-set. This required the user to disengage a lever (usually under the crystal) to set the hands via the crown. It was adjusted for accuracy in five positions and featured a lever-set system. Henry Cain had designed the 18-size (44.86mm-diameter) movement, equipped with 17 jewels, a 42-hour power reserve, and a full-plate design. 936 from 1893 - courtesy of Collectors Weekly Hamilton wasted no time in establishing a legacy of tried-and-true timepieces with an American spirit. The group built a new wing onto the Keystone Standard watch factory to accommodate the machinery brought in from Aurora. The group chose the name Hamilton as a tribute to the original owner of the site of Lancaster, as well as its first planner - Andrew Hamilton and his son James. Cain had also been one of the main investors in the project, and he had plans to develop serious railroad-ready timepieces. Along with it came Henry Cain, the superintendent of the Aurora Watch Company, and former head of Keystone Standard just a few years prior. The group decided to merge the two watchmaking companies, transporting Aurora’s machinery all the way to Lancaster. So in October of 1892, the group purchased the Keystone Standard brand and facilities, as well as the struggling Aurora Watch Company of Aurora, Illinois. A group of Lancaster-based investors, however, would not settle for less than a high-quality watch manufacturer bringing life to their town. But a lack of capital and the effects of mismanagement saw their untimely demise, with Keystone Standard finally going bankrupt in 1891. The Adams & Perry Watch Company, the Lancaster Watch Company, and the Keystone Standard Watch Company had all strived for success, inhabiting the same manufacturing facility built in Lancaster in 1875. The brand rose like a phoenix from the ashes of several prior watch companies that had struggled to gain traction in the prior two decades. The Hamilton Watch Company was founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. I hope you’ll find it as interesting as my grandfather and I have.Ĭourtesy of Lancaster Online The birth of Hamilton Today, we’ll take our first look at Hamilton’s rich history. The man lived and breathed the American railroad, and for so many years, Hamilton did as well. As I’ve been digging into the history of Hamilton watches, I can clearly see why my grandfather loved them so much. At 18 years old, I bought my own Hamilton Khaki X-Wind, and it was the crowning piece in my collection for nearly ten years.Ĭurrently, I’m studying more about watch brands than ever. But as silly as I was in not appreciating those treasures, my grandfather’s love of Hamilton watches greatly influenced my watch journey. They still live at my mother’s house half the world away, and, these days, I’m aching to go back and give them the attention they deserve. In my teens, I inherited several of my grandfather’s Hamilton pocket watches, which I foolishly neglected before moving to Japan. Even my grandmother, who knows and cares little about watches, can vouch for my grandfather’s love of the brand. Though he collected many brands of American timepieces, Hamilton watches were his favorites by far. His entire Cleveland basement was filled with locomotive memorabilia, including lanterns, bells, signals, and, yes, watches. He was an honorary member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and he had an unrelenting passion for trains and anything related to them. There’s no doubt in my mind that was thanks to my grandfather, who was a lifelong enthusiast of the American railroad. When I started my watch journey 16 years ago, Hamilton was a brand to which I instantly felt connected.