May 8, 2026 | News, Top News, Unions
The BLET marks its 163rd anniversary today, May 8. The BLET and its members are proud of our heritage as the oldest labor union in North America. William D. Robinson, the founder of the BLET, was involved in the movement to organize a national union for locomotive...
March 22, 2026 | News, Top News, Unions
On March 1, the United Steelworkers (USW) union made history with the installation of Roxanne Brown as International President. She is the first woman and first person of color to lead the major industrial union since it was founded in 1942. Born in Kingston, Jamaica,...
March 6, 2026 | News, Top News, Unions
It’s not just railroaders at short lines joining unions. The number of workers covered under union contracts jumped to a 16-year high in 2025, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). About 16.5 million workers were covered by a union contract...
January 30, 2026 | C3RS, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety, Railroad Security, Top News, Unions
Brothers and Sisters, Since May of 2025, when I was elevated to the position of National President, I have delivered a clear and consistent message wherever I go: this organization moves forward only when it is driven by its members. That belief is shaping every...
January 6, 2026 | News, Top News, Unions
In a victory for all of organized labor, the state of Utah has repealed a ban on collective bargaining for public sector workers that went into effect on July 1. While the law did not prevent workers such as teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public...
October 6, 2025 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News, Unions
A former member in the 1880s, Fred Wohlenberg was such a strong supporter of the BLE that he had the union’s logo engraved on his tombstone. His great-grandson Brad recently contacted the BLET to express his family’s continued support for our union....
October 2, 2025 | News, Railroad Safety, Railroad Security, Remote Control, Teamsters, Top News, Unions
Brothers and Sisters, This past May, I was given the great honor of becoming the National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and with that title, the responsibility of serving all our members from coast to coast. I am now the National...
September 26, 2025 | News, Organizing, Top News, Unions
BLET members working for AZER have reaped the benefits of a union job since voting to join the Brotherhood in 2024. Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659 ___________________ BLET members at the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) are enjoying the benefits of belonging to...
August 31, 2025 | News, Top News, Unions
A new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) details the benefits of unions to workers, communities, and democracy. The report finds a number of benefits in the 17 states with the highest union density, including higher incomes, greater access to health...
August 24, 2025 | News, Top News, Unions
From left: Chad Clayton, LR of Division 644: Jeff Crane, LR of Division 155; Cory Martin, Illinois SLB Chairman; and Todd Knight, LC of Division 155. _____________________ Members of the BLET represented their union and the craft of locomotive engineer at the...
