BLE members approve merger with Teamsters - industry outlook - Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers - Brief Article

Railway Age, Jan, 2004

On Jan. 1, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers became the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Rail Conference. The merger of the BLE and the Teamsters won overwhelming approval from the railroad union's members in an election whose results were certified in December by the American Arbitration Association.

In the U.S., the vote was 81% for, 19% against, with 47% of eligible members voting. In Canada, the vote was 62.4% in favor of the merger and 37.6% against, with 56% of eligible members voting. The merger followed unsuccessful efforts of BLE and its rival, the United Transportation Union, to unite in forming a single operating craft.