BLET to mark 157th anniversary

Tomorrow, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) will mark its 157th anniversary.

The union was founded as the Brotherhood of the Footboard on May 8, 1863, in Marshall, Michigan. In 1864, the union changed its name to Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), the name it retained for 140 years until merging with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Jan. 1, 2004, when it became the BLET. 

The BLET is the oldest labor union in the Western Hemisphere, BLET officials said in a press release.

The organization was formed in the early 1860s when locomotive engineers on the Michigan Central Railroad became discouraged with pay cuts and the arbitrary dismissal of their firemen. During that time, locomotive engineers at the Michigan Central were paid at the rate of $60 a month on the condition that they ran at least 2,500 miles, regardless of the time consumed.

The BLET was the first labor organization to obtain contracts with railroads. Among the earliest was an agreement with the former New York Central in 1875. Today, the BLET has hundreds of contracts with railroads and represents locomotive engineers on 98% of rail trackage in the United States.