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Show BLF&E SEEKS CONSOLIDATION WITH B OF L E A representative of the Brotherhood Bro-therhood of Locomotive Firemen Fire-men and Enginemen launched a Membership Action Program here in meetings with local members of the railroad union. Goals of the BLF&E program pro-gram are: 1. Uniting the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen En-ginemen with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; and, 2. Policing the application of the compulsory arbitration award involving the use ol helpers (firemen) on diesel locomotives. lo-comotives. Joining of the two rail brotherhoods bro-therhoods would bring together togeth-er two of the oldest labor organizations or-ganizations in the nation. The engineers' brotherhood is 100 years old and the firemen's union 90 years old. Both are headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and represent locomotive engineers and locomotive helpers help-ers (firemen) in the United States and Canada. "The pressing need for uniting unit-ing the brotherhoods is seen graphically in the fact that less tha,n 85,000 jobs are available to the members of both rail unions in the U S and Canada" the BLF&E spokesman said. "Latest statistics of the Interstate In-terstate Commerce Commission show that 74,763 men worked as engineers, helpers (firemen) and hostlers during July, 1963, in the U. S. Additionally there were 8,000 jobs for engine service ser-vice employees in Canada. "Thus, less than 85,000 men now support two international systems of local lodges, state Continued On Page Three HERE'S MORE ABOUT RAIL UNIONS Continued from Page One legislative boards, general grievance grie-vance committees, field staffs, international officers and international inter-national headquarters," the rail union spokesman noted. "The goal of the BLF&E is to be able to unite our organisation, organi-sation, intact, with the Brotherhood Broth-erhood of Locomotive Engineers. Engi-neers. The two brotherhood? are working closely now in the lules dispute and there is no reason why this close relationship rela-tionship should not become permanent. :"Members of the BLF&E will be working toward their goal in a calm atmosphere of dignity and good sense," the spokesman said. The union representative said the cmopulsory arbitration ruling rul-ing on use of helpers (firemen; expires after two years. The brotherhood will insist that firemen be used on all locomotives locomo-tives at that time, unless mutual mu-tual agreement is reached between be-tween the brotherhood and the railroad corporations. He noted that the arbitration ruling prevents others from performing work of locomotive firemen and said the brotherhood brother-hood will continue to insist that a fireman must be used on those jobs where his presence pres-ence is most essential to safety, efficiency, and preventing undue un-due burden on other employes. The union representative attacked at-tacked as "nonsense" news reports re-ports that the arbitration ruling rul-ing would mean the end of the firemen's union and craft. He said that the full application of the award could not be completed within two years. However, even under an extreme ex-treme application of the award, he estimated the BLF&E would continue with 35,000 working members. |