[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 226 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 226
Recognizing the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, and congratulating the members and officers of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for the union's many
achievements.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 8, 2003
Mr. Kucinich submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, and congratulating the members and officers of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for the union's many
achievements.
Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is the oldest rail union in
North America;
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 towards labor organizations at that time was extraordinarily
hostile and many of the other organizations founded contemporaneously
failed to withstand the negative pressures placed upon them and they
subsequently disbanded in their infancies;
Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers began to thrive despite the
climate into which it was formed;
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 located throughout the United States and Canada;
Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers' members have contributed, both
directly through their railroad activity and in their private
capacities, to the war effort in all of the wars of the United States
dating back to the Civil War;
Whereas the efforts of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 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 the
union's inception;
Whereas, although it accepted for membership only locomotive engineers in its
early years, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers enlarged its
membership ranks to include other rail employees;
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, in 1993, the 2,500 member American Train Dispatchers Association
officially merged with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in order
to unite the two key railway professions so as to better facilitate the
efficient and safe movement of passengers and freight;
Whereas, in 1995, the Rail Canada Traffic Controllers union also chose to merge
with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, increasing the union's
membership by 700;
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 to promote the
interests of working men and women and their families;
Whereas the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is an extraordinary union whose
leadership continues to work 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 House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the 140th anniversary of the founding of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers;
(2) congratulates the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
for its many achievements and the strength of its membership;
(3) recognizes the tremendous contributions made by the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers to the structural
development and building of the United States and for the many
improvements in the well-being of tens of thousands of workers;
and
(4) expects that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
will continue its outstanding work and will have an even
greater impact in the 21st century and beyond, and will further
enhance the standard of living and improve the work environment
for rail workers and other laborers for generations to come.
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