Trainmen & Engineers Say “No” to Conductorless Trains

Trainmen & Engineers Say “No” to Conductorless Trains

Holding the Line on the W&LE

It's been nearly 2 ½ years now since bargaining commenced

between the Wheeling & Lake Erie (W&LE) and

the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen

(BLET) for a new contract for engineers and trainmen on

this Midwest regional carrier. Negotiations have "gone

nowhere" as the two sides are diametrically opposed on

the issue of single employee train operations.

By August of 2013, things came to a head when the W&LE

insisted upon single employee operations of trains, while

the union stated that they would never accept such conditions.

Then on September 13th and 14th, the carrier unilaterally

opted to run a pair of trains with a single manager.

The engineers and trainmen of BLET #292 went on strike

September 20th, but they were quickly ordered back to

work under a temporary restraining order (TRO) by a federal

judge. The strike by more than 100 union members

completely shut down the railroad's operations in Ohio and

Pennsylvania. Bargaining then resumed on the 23rd.

However, the company remained intransigent and refused

to negotiate the issue of single employee crews.

Since then, no negotiating sessions had been scheduled

throughout the winter and spring. For nine months the two

sides did not meet. Finally, after Local Chairman Lonnie

Swigert's efforts, including a barrage of phone calls to

Mediator Jack Kane, the NMB, the BLET national office,

numerous BLET VPs and the General Chairman, the mediator

scheduled a bargaining session for June 10-12th

in St. Louis. Predictably, the carrier remained steadfast,

and refuses to bargain on any issues unless and

until the union concedes to run trains with a single

employee. The union is holding fast, determined

to stop any effort by the W&LE to open

the door to single employee operations.

"We're willing to negotiate anything but one-man crews" says Swigert. "They won't negotiate anything without one-man crews and we will never accept single employee crews. "I feel like this is a gateway. I'm sure Class Ones are in support (of one man trains), but they don’t want to be the first ones to do it. I do see this being a bigger issue than just us. It's about greed and putting profits over personal and public safety."

Regional carrier Wheeling & Lake Erie has been

aggresively pushing single employee crews for

more than a decade, resulting in a previous contract

impasse that the union claims left workers without a raise

for eight years until a 2008 contract was finally ratified.

Unable to win single employee operations at W&LE, the

carrier then assisted the Maine, Montreal & Atlantic

(MM&A), another smaller regional railroad, to do just that in

early 2013. Just a few months after such operations commenced,

a single operator was assigned to a heavy train of

crude oil that ran away down a steep grade into the town

of Lac Megantic, Quebec where it exploded, devastating

the town and killing 47 people. CEO of the MM&A at the

time was none other than Ed Burkhardt, who just happened

to also sit on the Board of the W&LE. According to

BLET President Dennis Pierce, "The WLE bankrolled Ed

Burkhardt's failed one-person operation on the Montreal,

Maine and Atlantic to the tune of a $25 million loan." In the

1990s, Burkhardt headed up the anti-union Wisconsin

Central, where he had pushed for single crews.

Railroad Workers United stands ready to assist these

brothers and sisters in any way possible. The RWU

Executive Committee met the day after the strike to explore

ways that we could build support throughout rail labor and

the general public for the W&LE workers. RWU adopted a

resolution of support and a program of action. We have

assisted the workers to gain public exposure and build contacts

with supporters, and have provided them with buttons

stickers, flyers and bumper sticker all proclaiming "No

Single Employee Train Crews!" We have in effect adopted

them as the “advance guard” in the forefront of the struggle

against single employee crews.

It is apparent that the W&LE is determined to be the rail
carrier to pioneer single crew member train operations.

Their intransigence at the bargaining table, their willingness

to support other railroads who are making similar

attempts at such operations, and their brash statements

and actions to this effect leave no doubt they are serious.

But the union and its members are serious too. According

to LC Swigert, "On September 20th of 2013, with just 16

hours notice, we had 100% compliance (with the strike

call). The men stood on the line and were willing to strike

for days, months if necessary. And when we are “released”

we will do it again if we have to.” Swigert is adamant that

single employee train crews would be a dangerous development

at the W&LE. “One man crews are not an option

for us. In dark territory, and with the lack of safety features

on our railroad, we will never accept one-man (operations

of trains) on our property.”

BLET Division #292 is committed to taking the necessary

measures to ensure that they win this fight. The have

proven their valor and determination last September when

they went out on strike and shut down the W&LE operations

100%. But they cannot win this battle alone. They

need the support of their General Committee, the BLET

National Division and the rank and file members of their

union from around the Midwest and across the nation.

They need the rest of rail labor - particularly from the Sheet

Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation Union - Transportation

Division (SMART-TD) to come to their assistance as well.

And they need the support of environmental and citizens

groups who are concerned about public safety.

This struggle is of vital concern to all of rail labor. 

We have seen countless episodes in past decades where a single

shortline or regional railroad adopts a new technology, procedure

or practice, only to have it spread like wildfire

throughout the rail industry to all the big Class 1 carriers as

well as other smaller roads. If the W&LE succeeds in its

efforts at single employee road train crews, it would represent

a huge foot in the door for the rail industry. It could

spell the beginning of the end for the road conductor in

North America. As such, it is imperative that the SMART

recognize this fight as their fight and lend whatever assistance

they are able. After all, it is SMART who holds the

contract and represents the vast majority of the trainmen in

the U.S. Likewise, the Teamster Canada Rail Conference

(TCRC), the union that holds the contract and represents

most trainmen in Canada, should also throw their weight

behind this cause. The international border is very transparent

these days, and what happens south of it most

assuredly will take root to the north as well.

At the end of the day, the workers on the W&LE just might

have to strike or take other job actions once again to stave

off this attack. If and when they do, we need to be ready.

Throughout the last few decades, we have witnessed a

number of key strikes by workers in several industries -

meat packing, paper, corn processing, newspaper and others

- where a small local waged a heroic "David vs.

Goliath" fight against a company … and lost.

We must ensure that BLET Division #292 does not end up being
added to that list. 

RWU challenges the BLET National

Division to step up to the plate, together with the SMARTTD

and others and put the full weight of the organization

behind these brothers and sisters. To do nothing less is to

betray not just our fellow workers on the W&LE, but every

trainman and engineer in North America.

For more information: www.railroadworkersunited.org