April 1, 2026 | Derailment, News, Safety Task Force, Top News
The BLET Safety Task Force has received Party Status from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to assist with investigations into two Union Pacific derailments that occurred recently: one that resulted in an ethanol leak in Richmond, Texas, on March 18; and...
April 1, 2026 | Legislation, News, Top News
Last week, the BLET and Teamsters Rail Conference launched a petition in support of the No Tax on Overtime for All Workers Act (H.R. 5475) with the goal of securing at least 8,000 signatures. The proposed bill would provide BLET members and all rail workers with the...
March 27, 2026 | News, Railroad Retirement, Top News
A “current connection” is the term the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) uses to describe a railroad employee’s maintenance of a relationship to the railroad industry. Basically, it is demonstrated by an employee having earned 12 months of railroad service in a 30-month...
March 26, 2026 | News, Railroad Safety, Top News
President Donald Trump’s Department of Transportation formally called on members of Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act of 2026, according to a report published by Bloomberg Government on March 12. A DOT spokeswoman is quoted telling Bloomberg, “President Trump...
March 25, 2026 | Contract Negotiations, News, Tentative Contract, Top News
The BLET has reached tentative agreements with two short line railroads: the Utah Central Railway and the Tacoma Municipal Belt Railway (Tacoma Rail). Utah Central The Utah Central tentative agreement is significant. If ratified, it would represent a first-ever union...
March 24, 2026 | News, Top News
Front row, from left: Joe Ferris, LC Div. 152; Jeff Jones, LC Div. 609; Kevin Sexton, BLET VP; Chris Mullin, LC Div. 336; Mark Wallace, National President; Dave Estes, National S-T.; Gary Best, First VP; Joey Rice, LC Div. 81; Tim Morgan, Missouri SLB Chairman; and...
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 20, 2026 | Legislation, News, Take Action, Top News
As part of the BLET’s effort to make members and other railroaders eligible for the overtime tax relief that most other workers received through the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed in July 2025, the BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference have launched a petition in...
March 18, 2026 | Last Run, News, Top News
Leland Eoff of BLET Division 197 (San Antonio, Texas) retired in January 2026 after 48 years of service. Eoff has over 44 years of membership in the BLET and served Division 197 for several years as President and Vice President. Division 197 President Jason...
March 17, 2026 | Contract Negotiations, News, Presidential Emergency Board, Top News
On March 16, Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 254, the second board assigned to the long-running contract dispute between a coalition of five railroad unions and the Long Island Rail Road, like an earlier appointed board of experts, recommended raises and...
