BLET-represented workers ratify pact with Utah short line

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET) members last week ratified a new agreement with the Utah Central Railway. 

Owned by Patriot Rail LLC, the short line previously was a non-union railroad, BLET officials said in a press release. Utah Central workers voted in favor of joining the BLET in December 2024.  

The initial agreement establishes important provisions found in other BLET contracts, such as a seniority roster, general wage increases, procedures for grievance handling, and paid holidays and vacations, union officials said. One of the most important aspects of the pact is the establishment of a discipline process, they said. 

“This agreement establishes protections against unwarranted discipline and provides members with contractual rights to challenge alleged rule violations and proposed discipline,” said BLET Vice President James Logan Jr., who heads the union’s short line department and is the director of organizing. 

Utah Central Railway operates 19 miles of track and interchanges with BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad in Ogden, Utah.