The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is a labor union and a member of the Rail Conference for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). It is the oldest rail labor union in the country, formed in 1863 under the name Brotherhood of the Footboard. It eventually merged with the IBT in 2004, renaming itself as the BLET. ¹

In December 2022, Dennis R. Pierce, who had served as BLET’s president since 2010, lost his election to candidate Edward Hall with the latter gaining more votes in the initial count. Instead of challenging the results, Pierce conceded and recognized Hall as the BLET president-elect. He noted in his concession statement, “The membership must stand united in the fight against the rail carriers, and stop blaming their union and its officers for the actions of those carriers.” ²

1. “About the BLET.” Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Accessed December 29, 2022. https://ble-t.org/about-the-blet/
2. Dennis R. Pierce. “Election Statement by Dennis R. Pierce.” Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, December 16, 2022. https://ble-t.org/news/election-statement-by-dennis-r-pierce/