BLET News
Wallace elected to four-year term as National President of BLET
On Wednesday, Mark Wallace was elected to his first full four-year term as National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen at the union’s Sixth National Convention in Las Vegas. Wallace, who previously held the union’s second-highest office,...
NTSB’s Homendy to BLET delegates: “Mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living”
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy kicked off the BLET convention Tuesday morning by urging members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to demand meaningful changes to improve railroad safety, citing the deaths and injuries...
BLET Puts “Members First” at Sixth National Convention
Putting members first was the central message as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) opened its Sixth National Convention on Tuesday, October 13, with union leaders highlighting collective bargaining victories, efforts to protect rail jobs, and...
Dick Crow reelected to a fourth term as General Chairman of UP-NR GCA
R.E. (Dick) Crow was reelected to his fourth term as General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Northern Region General Committee of Adjustment (UP-NR GCA) during the GCA’s quadrennial meeting held last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UP-NR GCA represents approximately...
BLET members ratify historic first agreement with Georgia Central
BLET members ratified a milestone first agreement with the Georgia Central Railway, marking a significant achievement for workers who voted to join the Brotherhood in October 2024. The new agreement establishes contractual rights and protections where none previously...
BLET’s Sixth National Convention gets underway this week
The BLET is finalizing preparations for the opening ceremonies of its Sixth National Convention, set to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Approximately 425 delegates will represent BLET’s 31,000 active members during the three-day convention. Delegate...
RRB issues important alert about scammers
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is warning railroad employees, retirees, and family members to stay vigilant against fraudsters and scammers. RRB said that caution and common sense are the best defense against falling victim to this type of activity. The...
Christopher Myron reelected Chairman of Oregon State Legislative Board
Christopher Myron was reelected for a second term as Chairman of the Oregon State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting on September 23. Brother Myron is a BNSF locomotive engineer and a member of BLET Division 842 in Klamath Falls, Ore. The BLET’s Oregon State...
BLET reaches tentative five-year agreement with CPKC for DM&E territory
The BLET has reached a tentative five-year agreement with CPKC for members who work on CPKC’s Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) territory. BLET General Chairman Nick Mugavero said the wage package is paramount to the tentative agreement (TA). If ratified by...
Health & Welfare news: Deadline is October 31 to enroll in 2027 Health FSA program
Currently happening until midnight on October 31, 2026, you can enroll or change your Medical or Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefit selections for the 2027 benefit year. Members must enroll in the Health FSA every year — FSA enrollment is not automatic...
Replacement ballots available in tentative agreement with Georgia Central
BLET members at the Georgia Central are currently voting on a tentative agreement. If ratified, it would become the first union contract for the GC workforce. Ballots will be tabulated on October 9. Eligible members who have not yet received a ballot should call the...
Fact check: UP-NS claim of “majority” union support doesn’t add up
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are claiming a “majority of unions” representing their employees support their proposed merger. The facts show otherwise: unions representing nearly two-thirds of the unionized workforce oppose it. As of August 2026, the six unions...
BLET Education & Training Department: Secretary-Treasurers complete hybrid training
The BLET Education & Training Department recently conducted a comprehensive training class for Secretary-Treasurers recently at BLET National Division Headquarters in Independence, Ohio. It was offered in a hybrid format, with members attending in person and...
More farm groups voice opposition to UP-NS merger as fuel surcharges double
America’s farmers know a bad deal when they see one. That’s why two prominent national farmers’ groups made headlines this week by voicing concerns that the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger will drive up costs for farmers and consumers. On September 25,...
BLET Education & Training Department: Local Chairmen complete hybrid training
The BLET Education & Training Department recently conducted a comprehensive training class for Local Chairmen at BLET National Division Headquarters in Independence, Ohio. It was offered in a hybrid format, with members attending in person and participating...
BLET uses locomotive simulator to strengthen relationships and help train emergency responders
Members of BLET’s Wisconsin State Legislative Board (WISLB) used a locomotive simulator to help conduct rail safety training last week for 35 firefighters and EMTs in Rudolph, Wisc. The Rudolph Fire Department protects 250 square miles in central Wisconsin, operating...
BLET endorses New Mexico Congressman Gabe Vasquez for re-election, citing his support on cross-border and other key issues
BLET National President Mark Wallace has announced BLET’s national endorsement of Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-New Mexico), who represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, for re-election, in recognition of his support for BLET members, including his co-sponsorship of...
Railroads “have a long way to go” to prove merger is in the public interest
In a decision announced recently, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) made clear that it has “reached no conclusions on the merits” of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, while acknowledging significant questions remain around competition, service,...
BLET reaches five-year tentative agreement with CPKC DM&E
The BLET has reached a tentative five-year agreement with CPKC for members who work on the CPKC Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) territory. BLET General Chairman Nick Mugavero said the wage package is paramount to the tentative agreement (TA). If ratified by...
General Chairman Brian Carr reelected to a third term at UP-WL GCA
Brian Carr was reelected to his third term as General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Western Lines General Committee of Adjustment (UP-WL GCA) during quadrennial meetings held September 15-16 in San Diego, Calif. The BLET’s UP-WL GCA is comprised of 15 different BLET...
Daily Headlines
IBT General President O’Brien tells BLET convention delegates: “The partnership between the Teamsters Rail Conference and the International Union has never been stronger”
Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman energized delegates with spirited speeches during the morning session of BLET’s Sixth National Convention on Wednesday. “Since Fred Zuckerman and I took office in 2022, together...
IBEW joins growing labor opposition to UP-NS merger
More than 70 percent of union railroad workers now oppose the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, after the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) last week became the seventh rail union to oppose the proposed acquisition. The IBEW’s announcement...
IBEW announces opposition to UP-NS merger
Shortly after the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition (STRMC) showed that unions representing 66 percent of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s unionized workforce oppose their proposed merger, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) announced today...
Fact check: UP-NS claim of “majority” union support doesn’t add up
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are claiming a “majority of unions” representing their employees support their proposed merger. The facts show otherwise: unions representing nearly two-thirds of the unionized workforce oppose it. As of August 2026, the six unions...
More farm groups voice opposition to UP-NS merger as fuel surcharges double
America’s farmers know a bad deal when they see one. That’s why two prominent national farmers’ groups made headlines this week by voicing concerns that the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger will drive up costs for farmers and consumers. On September 25,...
Railroads “have a long way to go” to prove merger is in the public interest
In a decision announced recently, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) made clear that it has “reached no conclusions on the merits” of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, while acknowledging significant questions remain around competition, service,...
BLET launches online portal: Tell the STB you are opposed to the UP-NS merger
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is seeking public comments on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. We believe our union members’ voices should be part of that record. BLET, BMWED, and TCU are collecting comments from workers, communities,...
BLET holds its first meeting at newly-organized Temple & Central Texas Railway
BLET recently held an inaugural meeting for its newest members at the Temple & Central Texas Railway (TC), a month after securing an organizing win at the Texas-based short line railroad. National Vice President James Logan Jr. and BLET Special...
Spread the word: BLET, National League of Cities team up to teach local governments how to participate in the UP-NS merger review
Jess Conard, who recently joined the BLET National Division staff as Community Coordinator, received an invitation to speak on a webinar hosted by the National League of Cities (NLC) to provide a brief tutorial on how local governments can sign up to participate in...
Long-term impact of the UP-NS merger on jobs in the industry
Rail industry trade publication Railway Age published an article last week that reinforces the job-loss concerns BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference have raised since Day 1. BLET has taken the position that the “Jobs for Life” promise made by UP CEO Jim Vena is...
