BLET members vote in favor of strike authorization

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against the nation's largest railroads, union officials announced yesterday.

About 99.5% of the participating membership authorized the strike, should such action become legal in the coming days, and become necessary to secure a contract with the rail carriers, BLET National President Dennis Pierce said in a prepared statement.

The action was the first nationwide strike vote over national rail contract negotiations since 2011. BLET represents more than 57,000 locomotive engineers, conductors, brakemen, firemen, switchmen, hostlers and other train-service employees.

Pierce said the railroads' operating plans and subsequent actions taken during the pandemic have contributed to a "toxic" work culture for railroad employees. He accused he railroads of stonewalling at the bargaining table.

"The question of whether or not any of the rail industry’s union-represented employees want to legally strike is secondary to what they truly want," said Pierce. "They want a contract with meaningful wage increases and good benefits. They want jobs that give them the ability to have a life outside of work. To be clear, there would be no need for a strike vote if any of that had happened in these negotiations."

To read Pierce's full statement, click here.

Meanwhile, both sides of the bargaining table — as well as rail shippers — are waiting for President Joe Biden to set up a Presidential Emergency Board to help break the contract stalemate. Biden faces a deadline of July 18 to establish the board.