Tentative national contract in the mail, available online
Per the BLET bylaws, a synopsis of the agreement and a ballot were mailed to all active BLET members today. The ballots are due by June 15, and results will be announced shortly thereafter.
The tentative agreement includes general wage increases totaling 17 percent (18.2 percent compounded over the life of the agreement), which will remain effective until December 31, 2009.
For BNSF members, the BNSF tentative agreement will be enclosed with the National proposal. Those members will have two ballots — a blue ballot for the National and a green ballot for the BNSF vote. Both ballots can be returned in the same postage paid envelope.
The tentative agreement provides members with retroactive pay. To help the members calculate what their back pay might be based on past earnings, the National Division has posted a “pay estimator” on its website. It should be noted, however, that not all compensation is subject to general wage increases, therefore, the dollar amounts that are generated from the back pay estimator may be different from actual back pay amounts.
The BLET reached the agreement through the auspices of the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC), which represents seven rail labor unions whose contracts cover nearly 85,000 rail workers (or 65 percent of the carriers’ employees). In addition to the BLET, the unions participating in the RLBC are the American Train Dispatchers Association, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, National Conference of Firemen and Oilers/SEIU, and the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association.
Members who do not receive a National ballot may call the office of National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert at (216) 241-2630, ext. 227, or e-mail: ballotrequest@ble-t.org. Those who do not receive a BNSF ballot can also call NST Walpert’s office, but should e-mail: ballotrequest-bnsf@ble-t.org.
Copies of the BNSF agreement are available on the BNSF-MRL General Committee’s website: http://www.blet-bnsfmrl.org.
To download the National agreement and synopsis, or to use the back pay estimator, please visit the BLET website at:
http://www.ble-t.org/2007contract
2007 Tentative National Contract
Per the BLET bylaws, a synopsis of the agreement and a ballot were mailed to all active BLET members on May 17. The ballots are due by June 15, and results will be announced shortly thereafter.
The tentative agreement includes general wage increases totaling 17 percent (18.2 percent compounded over the life of the agreement), which will remain effective until December 31, 2009.
For BNSF members, the BNSF tentative agreement will be enclosed with the National proposal. Those members will have two ballots — a blue ballot for the National and a green ballot for the BNSF vote. Both ballots can be returned in the same postage paid envelope.
The tentative agreement provides members with retroactive pay. To help the members calculate what their back pay might be based on past earnings, the National Division has posted a “pay estimator” on its website. It should be noted, however, that not all compensation is subject to general wage increases, therefore, the dollar amounts that are generated from the back pay estimator may be different from actual back pay amounts.
The BLET reached the agreement through the auspices of the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC), which represents seven rail labor unions whose contracts cover nearly 85,000 rail workers (or 65 percent of the carriers’ employees). In addition to the BLET, the unions participating in the RLBC are the American Train Dispatchers Association, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, National Conference of Firemen and Oilers/SEIU, and the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association.
Members who do not receive a National ballot may call the office of National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert at (216) 241-2630, ext. 227, or e-mail: ballotrequest@ble-t.org. Those who do not receive a BNSF ballot can also call NST Walpert's office, but should e-mail: ballotrequest-bnsf@ble-t.org.
Copies of the BNSF agreement are available on the BNSF-MRL General Committee’s website: http://www.blet-bnsfmrl.org.
NATIONAL CONTRACT 
SYNOPSIS OF AGREEMENT
BACK PAY ESTIMATOR
(Pops up in new window)
2007 National Contract News
Thursday, May 17, 2007
bentley@ble.org
http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=4474
© 1997-2007 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
http://www.ble.org
