BLET has reached a tentative agreement with Keolis for members who work as locomotive engineers for the Virginia Railway Express (VRE). Ballots were mailed June 12.
If ratified by the members, the agreement would provide a strong wage package along with meaningful quality of life and other long overdue improvements. BLET General Chairman Pat Darcy said the tentative deal includes important modifications to scope and other defined representational authority, which are key items of importance to the VRE membership.
The VRE membership belongs to Division 14 in Washington, D.C. The negotiating team consisted of General Chairman Darcy, Division 14 Local Chairman Todd Woollam, and National Vice President Jim Louis. VRE provides commuter rail service from the Northern Virginia suburbs to Alexandria, Va. and downtown Washington, D.C. VRE operates 30 trains from 19 stations, carrying an average of 20,000 passengers each day.
Note to VRE members: Ballots were mailed June 12 and will be tabulated on Monday, June 29. Members who are eligible to vote and have not received a ratification packet by June 22 should call the National Division’s dedicated voicemail line at (216) 241-2630, ext. 222. When connected with the voicemail, please leave the following information:
- Your name, address and phone number;
- The division to which you belong;
- The railroad you work for;
- Your date of birth;
- The last four digits of your Social Security number; and
- Your email address.
All replacement ballots will be distributed by email. Any member who requires a replacement ballot must include their email address in the voicemail; otherwise, they will not be able to participate in the ratification vote.
Photo by Doug Kroll