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Friday, December 05, 2003 |
Members approve IBT merger
CLEVELAND, December 5 -- Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
have overwhelmingly approved a merger with the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, joining the largest and most powerful transportation union in
North America.
Ballots were counted today and election results certified by the American
Arbitration Association. The vote in the United States was 81 percent in
favor of merging and 19 percent against with 47 percent of eligible members
voting, and the vote in Canada was 62.4 percent in favor and 37.6 percent
opposed with 56 percent of eligible members voting.
BLE members in Canada will now be members of Teamsters Canada and will be a
part of the Canadian Rail Conference.
"The membership has spoken and we are pleased with their decision to merge
with the Teamsters," BLE International President Don M. Hahs said. "Our
members will soon see the benefits of belonging to the largest, most
powerful, and politically influential transportation union in North
America."
The merger will become effective on January 1, 2004, and the BLE will become
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), a division of
the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Rail Conference.
"Today, two great unions begin a partnership to strengthen our ability to
represent workers across the transportation spectrum," said Teamsters
General President James P. Hoffa. "The Teamsters have always had a vision
for a seamless transportation union giving workers real power on the job and
in the political arena. This historic merger brings us closer to our union's
vision."
The addition of "Trainmen" to the name of the new organization is a
significant step, BLE President Hahs said.
"The doors are now open and the structure in place," he said. "Throughout
negotiations, it was our intent and the Teamsters' intent to allow the new
organization to represent trainmen under the umbrella of the IBT Rail
Conference. We welcome trainmen with open arms."
The structure of the current BLE will basically remain intact, but some
changes will be made as the BLET expands to incorporate additional trainmen
members.
"The IBT's current Locals and Joint Councils are pretty much autonomous
under the International IBT, and the BLET will also have autonomy,"
President Hahs said. "We will continue to elect our own officers and have
our own conventions."
Current members and any new members who join the BLET will be able to
utilize the immense resources of the IBT, President Hahs said.
"There are a number of member services, which the BLE presently purchases
from outside sources, that will now be available through IBT departments,"
President Hahs said. "It's a win-win for both organizations."
The BLE and IBT have already enjoyed a great deal of success in organizing
shortline railroads throughout the United States. Over the past year, the
two organizations have worked jointly as the IBT-BLE Rail Operating
Employees' Council. The group has successfully organized seven different
shortline properties since July of 2002, bringing nearly 700 new members
into the House of Labor.
The victories include the New York & Atlantic Railway; the Great Western
Railway of Colorado; St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad; Utah Railway; the
Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad; the Indiana Southern Railroad; and the
Texas-Mexican Railway.
BLE would be the first railroad union under the new IBT Rail Conference, and
others may follow. Other AFL-CIO affiliated rail unions have contacted the
IBT regarding possible mergers, and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employes is currently in merger discussions with the IBT.
It is expected that rail workers will be able to negotiate stronger
contracts by presenting a united front under the IBT Rail Conference.
On February 26, 2002, the BLE Advisory Board unanimously approved a motion
that allowed the BLE Executive Committee to explore a possible merger with
the Teamsters. On September 6, 2002, the BLE and IBT announced the
appointment of four joint committees charged with the task of drafting a
Merger Agreement for the two organizations, and formal discussions began on
October 3.
"I thank all members of the joint committees for their diligent work in
preparing the merger documents," President Hahs said. "None of this would
have been possible without their hard work to create documents that were
acceptable to the membership."
The four committees were Constitution & Bylaws, Legislative, Finance and
Canada.
The Constitution & Bylaws members were: Ed Rodzwicz, First Vice-President &
Alternate President (Committee Co-Chairman); Leo McCann, President, American
Train Dispatchers Department, BLE; Paul T. Sorrow, Vice President; Dale
McPherson, Vice President; Larry Sykes, General Chairman, Norfolk Southern;
Tony Smith, General Chairman, CSXT; Gil Gore, General Chairman, Union
Pacific; Rick Gibbons, General Chairman, BNSF; Mark Kenny, General Chairman,
Amtrak; and Bob Evers, General Chairman, Long Island Rail Road.
The Legislative Committee members were: Raymond Holmes, BLE Vice-President &
U.S. National Legislative Representative (Committee Co-Chairman); Jim Keele,
Kansas State Legislative Board Chairman; George Newman, Massachusetts State
Legislative Board Chairman; and Tim Smith, California State Legislative
Board Chairman.
The Finance Committee members were: Bill Walpert, General
Secretary-Treasurer (Committee Co-Chairman); Paul Wingo, International
Vice-President; Jim Nelson, Secretary-Treasurer BNSF-Northern Lines General
Committee of Adjustment; and Steve L. Christian, Secretary-Treasurer,
Arkansas State Legislative Board.
The Canada Committee members were: Gilles Hallé, BLE Vice-President &
Canadian Director (Committee Co-Chairman); and George Hucker, BLE
Vice-President & National Legislative Representative-Canada.
The BLE conducted a poll of its membership in the spring of 2003, which
revealed that a 78 percent majority of the membership favored a merger with
the IBT.
On July 10, 2003, the BLE Advisory Board unanimously approved the merger
documents. Ballots were mailed on October 20.
Founded on May 8, 1863, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is the
senior rail labor organization in North America.
Friday, December 05, 2003
bentley@ble.org
3:00:26 PM 
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