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Craft Union Conflict Railroads Workers
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) are conducting merger talks. At first glance, this is not that surprising, considering that many smaller unions (like the BLE) are amalgamating into larger ones these days. Also, from an industrial union standpoint, this merger is not simply a hodgepodge amalgamation like some of late. A merger between workers in the rail industry and those in the trucking industry in theory does make some sense. These workers are all in freight transportation, after all.
However, what is curious is that when courted by the United Transportation Union (UTU), the BLE has rejected, not once, but twice in the last few years, attempts by the UTU to form a single union in the railroad operating craft. Even more curious is the fact that the UTU, while representing tens of thousands of switchmen, brakemen, and conductors who work daily alongside their engineer co-workers in the locomotive cab, the UTU represents a substantial number of engineers itself. Why, then, the failure of these two organizations to form a single union? |
