90% of BLET Members Ratify Quality of Life Agreement With UP
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
The six Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) General Chairmen announced June 29 that 90% of the union’s divisions representing locomotive engineers on Union Pacific (UP) have ratified an agreement with the Class I that “enhances the quality of life for those locomotive engineers and their families by making it possible for them to have more predictable schedules.”
According to BLET, the agreement provides locomotive engineers in unassigned service scheduled rest days and predictable schedules (being available for 11 days, followed by four days off) along with other work/rest models. The parties, BLET says, expect to implement the new work/rest schedules within the next year across the system.
“The General Chairmen and their General Committee Officers would like to thank their members for ratifying this industry-changing agreement that will greatly augment their quality of life,” BLET stated in a release. They further stated, “We will continue to negotiate meaningful improvements to the working conditions for the members we represent.”
“Additionally, the General Chairmen would like to thank BLET First Vice President Mark Wallace and National Vice President Gary Best for their assistance in this endeavor,” BLET said. “UP promised to address its craft professionals’ concerns about quality of life, and we’re proud of the collaboration that resulted in this industry leading agreement’s ratification,” the Class I stated in a Twitter post
