After three and a half years of on-and-off talks and a surprise recommendation from one union's advisory board, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union signed a proposed merger agreement.

If ratified by members of both unions, the pact would end jurisdictional disputes and unite virtually all U.S. and Canadian rail workers under one union roof, said BLE President Edward Dubroski and UTU President Byron A. Boyd, Jr.

The combined United Transportation Union-Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers would have approximately 185,000 members. Spokesmen for the two unions said that includes 87,500 active members in the U.S., just under 70,000 retirees, and 30,000 Canadian train dispatchers and rail traffic controllers who are now BLE members.

Both unions would retain their logos. The merger would take effect on Jan. 1, 2002. Both are headquartered in Cleveland.

Proud history
"We are asking our members to approve the creation of the largest combined rail, bus and air union in North America," Dubroski and Boyd said in a joint statement after signing the agreement July 23. "It joins the best of the proud, historic and democratic principles embodied in both the BLE and the UTU, and has as its goal the protection and advancement of each of the autonomous crafts in which our members work.

"The merged union would produce substantial financial savings by ending hostilities that have distracted both of us from doing what we are paid to do - represent our members' interests with railroads and other transportation companies - and by providing for streamlined operations.

"Most importantly, the new union would vastly enhance our power and influence at the bargaining table, in state legislatures and provincial parliaments, and in the halls of national legislatures in Washington and Ottawa," they said.

Though the UTU disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO in 1999, "There would be no reason" for the combined union "not to go back in" if members approve the merger, UTU official John Horvath said, speaking from a Canadian regional union conference in Manitoba.

Horvath said UTU left "because of what we believed to be lack of even-handed handling and results from the AFL-CIO" after charges that both unions violated the AFL-CIO Constitution. After mediation failed, the federation's Executive Council fined UTU.

Horvath noted that when it disaffiliated, UTU pledged "that we would stay in solidarity with all other unions," and has done so on issues such as railroad retirement reform. Saying the AFL-CIO could waive the fine, he added: "In spirit, we remained affiliated."

This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used with permission.