Declaring an impasse in contract negotiations with the National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC) on May 1, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers requested the services of the National Mediation Board (NMB) to help resolve the long-running dispute.
Resolutions were introduced before the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on May 8 in honor of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers' 140th anniversary.
Also, a third resolution to honor the BLE's was enacted by the city of Marshall, Mich., where the BLE was organized 140 years ago. It declared May 4-10 "Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Week."
BLE member L.W. "Wayne" Edenfield died on May 7 from injuries sustained in an Amtrak collision with a log truck near Hinesville, Ga., on May 6.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers received an historic World War II artifact on May 1. The artifact -- the bottom portion of the USS Arizona Memorial flag pole -- was presented to the BLE as a permanent loan by retired Division 3 (Cleveland) member Bob Manzetti. BLE International President Don M. Hahs accepted the historic artifact on behalf of all BLE members.