BLET members ratify national contract with freight carriers

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced today that its membership has voted to ratify a new contract with the National Carriers Conference Committee, representing the nation's freight carriers.

The BLET is the third union among the six represented by the Coordinated Bargaining Group (CBG) to ratify the five-year agreement, which covers rates of pay, health and welfare, and other fringe benefits for 25,000 BLET members nationwide.

Eighty-eight percent of the BLET's voting membership approved the agreement, which covers locomotive engineers who work for the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago, BNSF Railway Co., Conrail, CSX, Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, Kansas City Southern, Longview Switching Co., Norfolk Southern Railway, Portland Terminal Co., Soo Line Railroad, Union Railroad Co., Union Pacific Railroad and Winston-Salem Southbound Railway.

The pact also covers all train service employees on the Texas Mexican Railway.

"BLET members benefited from the solidarity shown by the CBG, and my hope is that these unions will continue to work together going forward," said BLET National President Dennis Pierce in a press release.

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and the American Train Dispatchers Association announced this week that their members have ratified the agreement.