One of the highlights of the Eastern Regional meeting was a roundtable discussion with two of the union’s newest members, Tandi Colibert of Watco and Bailey Price of the Utah Central. Both recently helped organize their short line railroads with support from BLET.
Taking the risk paid off for Colibert and Price, as well as all their coworkers, after the ratification of their first BLET contracts. BLET organized Watco in February 2025, and the members ratified their first contract in June 2026. Utah Central was organized in December 2024 and ratified their first contract in April 2026. Those newly ratified BLET agreements are providing the Watco and Utah Central membership with improved pay, better working conditions, and stronger protections from discipline.
Colibert and Price now serve as Grievance Chairs for their respective railroads. They also discussed some of the hurdles they encountered during the organizing and negotiating processes. At each railroad, management launched high-pressure campaigns to discourage employees from voting for the BLET.
“The two properties that we organized didn’t become part of the BLET because someone at the National Division decided we needed more members. Workers made that decision,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said. “They looked at their circumstances, looked at the representation they wanted, and chose this Brotherhood. We should be proud of that.”
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Rank-and-file BLET members have played a critical role in the union’s recent organizing wins, with some of the union’s organizing victories coming directly from tips provided by current and former BLET members employed at other railroads. If you know of family, friends, or former coworkers who are railroaders employed at a non-union railroad who would like to be represented by BLET, contact the Organizing Department at [email protected].