Rail Teamsters Push to Merge Rival Unions
Railroad engineers and trainmen from two unions are out to win greater solidarity and union democracy on the rails. On Jan.
Rail
Rail Teamsters—Teamsters on the Right Track
"Through the TDU Rail Chapter, rail Teamsters are helping to get our union back on the right track. We're fighting the carriers for strong agreements and we're promoting the unity of all railroad crafts. Get on board and help us out."
Ed Michael, Union Pacific
BLET Div. 724, Salem, Ill.
Rail Newswire
Is Union Pacific Geting Ready for One-Person Crews?
The rail carriers have dropped their demands for single-person crews in this round of bargaining.
BLET Teamsters Win the Right to Vote
Similar Effort in BMWED Suffers Setback
Canadian Rail Teamsters Win Right to Vote for Their National Officers
Victory Is Part of Trend towards Democracy in Rail
October 18, 2006. For the second time in three months, railroad engineers and conductors have scored a victory for the right to vote.
Rail Roundup
Canadian Rail Teamsters Set for First Election
A rank and file activist has set his sights on one of the top spots of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. This summer, members won the right to vote for their top three national officers by voting for bylaws changes proposed by Gerry Ranson of Division 320 in Vancouver. Subsequently, Ranson was nominated at the TCRC Convention in September to run for the office of vice president. He is running with incumbent Gilles Halle for president and Benoit Brunet for secretary-treasurer.
Dues Money Funds Vacations for BLET President’s Wife
October 18, 2006. Don Hahs, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division of the Teamster Rail Conference, has spent more than $6,000 flying his wife to Alaska for a cruise, footing the bill for her airfare to various events, and paying for her meals on trips, according to documents obtained by TDU.
BLET Fails Trainmen in El Paso
October 18, 2006. When the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers merged into the Teamsters two-and-a-half years ago, they added the words “and Trainmen” to the end
BLET Members Going for Right to Vote
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (a division of the Teamsters Rail Conference) will soon have the opportunity to vote for an important change to their bylaws. On April 19, a ballot was sent to every member to ask if the election of National Officers should be changed to be “one member, one vote.” Currently, national officers are elected by delegates at the BLET Convention, the same way Teamster International officers used to be elected before TDU won the Right to Vote.
One of the architects of this referendum is W. L. Morris, an officer in the small Division 316 with about 60 members who work for the Norfolk Southern in Georgia. Convoy Dispatch spoke with Morris to find out more about this watershed election.
Resignation Letter
February 6, 2006
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Since joining the IBLE in 1974, I have devoted my entire career to improving the lives of locomotive engineers and their families. I have always put the best interests of the membership first. Regrettably, President Hahs and I have too many fundamental differences about how the organization should represent the members’ best interests. In my opinion, his views and decisions are adversely impacting the survival of our craft and organization. Consequently, I do not believe it is possible for me to continue to serve the members’ best interests while working on the Executive Staff supporting his decisions.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Since joining the IBLE in 1974, I have devoted my entire career to improving the lives of locomotive engineers and their families. I have always put the best interests of the membership first. Regrettably, President Hahs and I have too many fundamental differences about how the organization should represent the members’ best interests. In my opinion, his views and decisions are adversely impacting the survival of our craft and organization. Consequently, I do not believe it is possible for me to continue to serve the members’ best interests while working on the Executive Staff supporting his decisions.
BLET President Hahs to Face Challenger in 2006 Election
A high-level official of the Teamster Rail Conference’s Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced that he will challenge President Don Hahs for leadership of the BLET. Tom Brennan served as the staff counsel for the national division for eight years, before suddenly resigning his position in early February.
“In my opinion, [Hahs’] views and decisions are adversely impacting the survival of our craft and organization,” Brennan wrote in his resignation letter. Since then, he has exercised his seniority on the Norfolk Southern. In his declaration of candidacy, he claims that the “business as usual” attitude of Hahs and past presidents has made the BLET weaker with respect to the carriers and to rival union UTU, even as the rail industry is reaping “record profits.”
“In my opinion, [Hahs’] views and decisions are adversely impacting the survival of our craft and organization,” Brennan wrote in his resignation letter. Since then, he has exercised his seniority on the Norfolk Southern. In his declaration of candidacy, he claims that the “business as usual” attitude of Hahs and past presidents has made the BLET weaker with respect to the carriers and to rival union UTU, even as the rail industry is reaping “record profits.”
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