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4/18/2016
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) late last week dedicated its new national division headquarters in Independence, Ohio.
The new 40,000-square-foot building houses offices for the union's national division officers and staff, an education and training center for union officers and members, and the BLET Museum.Attendees at the April 15 ceremony included BLET National President Dennis Pierce; Ken Hall, general secretary-treasurer of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; John Ryan, state director for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio); Sean O’Brien, Teamsters International vice president–Eastern region; representatives of other rail labor unions; and state and local officials.The oldest labor union in North America, the BLET had been headquartered in downtown Cleveland since 1870, according to a press release from the union. Today, the BLET represents more than 56,000 locomotive engineers and trainmen throughout the United States.In his speech, Pierce dedicated the new headquarters in memory of all the organization's members throughout its 153-year history. "For generations, we ... have been a beacon of hope and a shining example for railroad workers and for all American workers," Pierce said.