BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is a Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The BLET is the senior national labor organization in the United States and also North America’s oldest rail labor union. The BLET marked its 160th anniversary in 2023 and was founded in Detroit, Mich. on May 8, 1863, as the Brotherhood of the Footboard; a year later, its name was changed to The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The BLE merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and became the BLET on January 1, 2004.
Texas State Legislative Board and LRs 06/2023
Mission Statement
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen exists to promote and protect the rights, interests, and safety of its members through solidarity, aggressive representation, and education.
—Bylaws of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, 2018.