CLEVELAND – The elimination of the historical craft of conductor and its replacement by a new craft called “EWT” – Engineer Waiting to Be Trained -- is being proposed by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), a document from BLE Division 316 in Atlanta reveals.

The BLE proposal, which is included within the draft contents of a possible Section 6 Notice, would punish all post-‘85 train and engine service employees and damage their seniority rights. It would abolish the crafts of conductor, switchman, fireman, and all trainmen and replace it with an apprentice position – EWT – that would receive 25% less pay than locomotive engineers.

The BLE has already been found guilty of illegally shutting down the craft of conductor by the Canadian government. In an unprecedented decision on October 22 by the Canadian Labour Board, the BLE was found guilty of “collaborating” with VIA Rail to wrongly eliminate conductors and assistant conductors. Now it is proposing that conductors and other train service employees enter a new craft called “Engineer Waiting to be Trained” (EWT) on CSX and possibly other railroads.

“The true agenda of the BLE to eliminate the historical crafts of conductor and all other trainmen is now in plain sight for everyone to see,” said Assistant President Byron A. Boyd, Jr. “The UTU is the only union that will protect the historical crafts, including locomotive engineer, conductor, and all trainmen. This proposal shows the true colors of the BLE of selling out the historical crafts.”

All employees working as EWT’s, according to the BLE proposal, would be paid at 75% of the rate allowed for locomotive engineers’ wages and arbitraries, but they would be allowed full meal expenses.

The proposal to eliminate conductors and trainmen is being put forward by BLE Division 316 based in Atlanta, which works on the CSX railroad.

The BLE proposal states: 

•       In seniority order, all train and engine service employees with an   original hire date on his/her current seniority district of  November 1, 1985, or thereafter, will be placed on a new seniority roster labeled EWT (Engineers Waiting to be Trained).
  
  

•       The EWT will be paid at 75% of the rate allowed for Engineers’ wages and arbitraries. EWT’s shall receive 100% of the meal allowance.
  
  

•       The purpose of creating the EWT craft will be to allow the BLE to negotiate an Engineer/Co-Engineer agreement utilizing the EWT as Co-Engineer.

•       Only those with EWT seniority will be allowed to enter the Engineer Training Program.