Sparring partners to partner? BLE, UTU consider merger (April 1998)
4/7/2023There appears to be a truce in the war of words between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union International.
And that truce could lead to a peace treaty that ends in the two unions forming a union of their own.
The AFL-CIO recently proposed that the two unions, which have clashed in recent months over charges of raiding, commit to good-faith discussions to resolve their differences — and consider some kind of an affiliation, even a merger.
Officials from both BLE and UTU say they're receptive to the idea.
In the meantime, each union must refrain from raiding each other's members and from publicly attacking each other.
BLE plans to ask AFL-CIO to refrain from taking any actions against UTU arising out of the judgment that found UTU in violation of AFL-CIO's constitutional provision against membership raising.
UTU, meanwhile, plans to request that the National Mediation Board put a hold on UTU's petition to create a single operating craft on the Union Pacific Railroad.
UTU International represents locomotive engineers, conductors, brakemen, yardmasters, switchmen and other rail industry employees; BLE represents only locomotive engineers.
Source: The April 1998 issue of Progressive Railroading