[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 68 (Thursday, May 8, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 136--RECOGNIZING THE 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
FOUNDING OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS, AND CONGRATULATING 
MEMBERS AND OFFICERS OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS FOR THE 
                       UNION'S MANY ACHIEVEMENTS

  Mr. DASCHLE (for Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Mr. Voinovich)) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers was founded 
     on May 8, 1863, as a secret, fraternal labor organization and 
     its first meetings were held clandestinely for fear of 
     reprisals from railroad management;
       Whereas the climate toward labor organizations at that time 
     was extraordinarily hostile, and many of the other newly 
     founded labor organizations failed to withstand the negative 
     pressures placed upon them and disbanded in their infancies;
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers began to 
     thrive despite the climate into which it was born;
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers has grown 
     from its original 13 members, all from the Michigan Central 
     Railroad, to 59,000 active and retired members employed 
     throughout the United States and Canada;
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is North 
     America's oldest rail labor union;
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers' members 
     have contributed, both directly through their railroad 
     activity and in private capacities, to the war effort in all 
     of the battles of the United States dating back to the Civil 
     War;
       Whereas their efforts to improve rail safety for both their 
     members and the public have resulted in a dramatic decrease 
     in the number of railroad accidents in the years since their 
     inception;
       Whereas in 1964, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 
     launched an apprentice engineer program to assure the Nation 
     of a stable supply of well-trained locomotive engineers, and 
     to assure stable employment and earnings to apprentices;
       Whereas after accepting only promoted locomotive engineers 
     in its early years, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 
     enlarged its membership goals to include other rail 
     employees;
       Whereas in 1993, the 2,500 member American Train 
     Dispatchers Association officially affiliated with the 
     Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in order to unite the two 
     key railway professions that facilitate the efficient and 
     safe movement of passengers and freight;
       Whereas in 1995, the Rail Canada Traffic Controllers union 
     also chose to merge into the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
     Engineers, adding another 700 members;
       Whereas in addition to providing representation for its 
     members, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers aggressively 
     participates in the labor movement with other unions and 
     organizations in promoting the interests of working men and 
     women and their families;
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is an 
     extraordinary union whose leadership still works hard every 
     day--just as it did in 1863--to protect members' health and 
     safety, to guard their financial interests, to give them an 
     effective voice on the job, and to ensure dignity, respect, 
     and security for railway workers in the workplace; and
       Whereas the efforts of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
     Engineers are deserving of our attention and admiration: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the union which has made a tremendous 
     contribution to the structural development and building of 
     the United States, and to the well-being of tens of thousands 
     of workers;
       (2) congratulates the union for its many achievements and 
     the strength of its members; and
       (3) expects that the union will continue its dedicated work 
     and will have an even greater impact in the 21st century and 
     beyond, and will enhance the standard of living and working 
     environment for rail workers and other laborers in 
     generations to come.

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