L OCOMOTIVE E NGINEERS & T RAINMEN JVolumeournal 120 | No. 1 | Winter 2016 WWW.BLE-T.ORG Chuck Akers steps down from the cab, reluctantly The unseen victim Education & Training An investment in our Also inside: union leaders of tomorrow PG 12 Last Runs The Real Brotherhood American Dream Obituaries BLET member Ray Vigil BLET Auxiliary is proud to be American, Scholarships proud to be Union PG 18 Published by the BLET, a division of the Rail Conference, International Brotherhood of Teamsters ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| BLET President’s Message BY D ENNIS R. P IERCE , BLET NAT IONA L P R E SIDE N T Join us in the fight to defend your hard earned benefits ne of any Union’s retirement benefits. We have primary respon- earned our retirement ben- sibilities is to ne- efits with our own sweat and gotiate for and tears; it is not some so-called Odefend the benefits that make entitlement that the govern- union jobs the best jobs in our ment should trifle with. proud country. It is no secret The same is true of our — as all members should be Medicare benefits. I entered well aware — that the rail- the work force in 1976, eleven roads are attempting in our years after the 1965 Medicare national contract negotiations Amendment to the Social to diminish the quality of our Security Act legislatively cre- health care benefits. In fact, ated the Medicare system. As the primary reason for our and in some cases take for benefit is our Railroad Re- a result, and as with almost national freight contract not granted, are a combination tirement program. You will all railroad employees actively being settled is due to your of collectively bargained ben- recall that House Speaker working today, I have paid into employers’ demands that you efits, legislated benefits and Ryan previously suggested the Medicare system from pick up significantly more of regulatory benefits that often that our retirement benefits every paycheck that I have the cost of your health care. generate from legislation. be reduced, and we asked you received since I entered the You have had no contract to The election cycle of 2016 then to show our collective workforce. Like Railroad Re- vote on because I have heard is over, and I have heard from strength in telling him to tirement, this is no entitlement loud and clear how you view many members who want our leave our benefits alone. that the government should such a contract; you would Union to get past the election We must continue to be trifle with, it is a benefit that I never ratify it. and concentrate on the future, vigilant as efforts to reduce bought and paid for. Instead, we have entered not the past. I wholeheartedly Social Security benefits are Don’t fall for the sugges- into mediation under the pro- agree with those sentiments, already being discussed, and tion that you should work visions of the Railway Labor but with a new government we must be ready to again de- longer to get those benefits, Act (RLA). Although our pri- now in control in Washington, fend any similar attacks on our or that the Medicare system mary goal is to reach a vol- we must all keep a watchful Railroad Retirement system. should be changed to create untary settlement that our eye on how they approach Dismissing these attacks as a voucher system where you members would ratify, it is governance. Many members “fake news” because we don’t are thrown to the open mar- also becoming painfully clear have been clear that they want like them is not going to pre- ket to buy health insurance that we may have to exhaust labor to give the new admin- vent the attacks from hap- in your later years. These are the terms and conditions of istration a chance, but I don’t pening. This is real; there are not ideas promoted by, or in- the RLA, including the point think they expect their Union groups out there whose agenda tended to help working class where we reach the right to to let its guard down when it is to strip you of your retire- Americans; they are ideas pro- strike, in order to defend our comes to corporate America’s ment and related health care moted by corporate lobbyists current benefits. efforts to strip you of benefits benefits, and they are working like the American Legislative While our ongoing con- that you earned and paid for hard in the new congress to Exchange Council (ALEC) tract negotiations are get- with your labor. advance that agenda. We are and the anti-worker Koch ting the bulk of our atten- My efforts in the coming closely monitoring these ef- brothers. Their goal is to relieve tion, it is critical that we not months will be to do just that. forts, and if they gain steam, your employers of their costs let our guard down on the We cannot allow corporate we will immediately need all to run these programs, even many other benefits that power and wealth to strip working and retired railroad though that cost has long been all members count on. As I working class Americans of employees to rise up and de- figured into your legislatively have explained in the past, protections and benefits that mand that this new govern- mandated benefits package. If the benefits that we count on, they have earned. One such ment keep its hands off of our Continued on page 29 • 2 BLET JOURNAL NO. 1 • WINteR 2016 WWW.BLE-T.ORG L OCOMOTIVE E NGINEERS & T RAINMEN Contents ❱❱ Journal Published by the BLET, »» ON THE COVER: Division 14 member Chuck Akers. a division of the Rail Conference, Read his story on page 14. Cover photo: Heather Rousseau, The Roanoke Times International Brotherhood of Teamsters WWW . BLE - T . ORG BLET Advisory Board EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dennis R. Pierce National President National Division E [email protected] E. Lee Pruitt First VP & Alternate President National Division E [email protected] Stephen J. Bruno National Secretary-Treasurer National Division E [email protected] VICE PRESIDENTS John P. Tolman National Legislative Representative 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W., 7th Floor Washington, D.C. 20001 E [email protected] Brother Ray Vigil (left) Marcus J. Ruef 178 Fairway Dr. with Teamsters Charles Town, WV 25414-5833 International Vice President E [email protected] Sean O’Brien Michael D. Twombly 18 70 High St., Andover, MA 01810 E [email protected] Departments Features Gil L. Gore 4016 Paige Janette Dr., Harvey, LA 70058 News 4 12 Education & Training E [email protected] Brotherhood Obituaries 8 An investment in our union leaders Michael D. Priester of tomorrow. 247 Opera House St., Columns by James P. Hoffa Henderson, NV 89012 and John Murphy, IBT 10 14 The Unseen Victim E [email protected] Legislative Update 20 Chuck Akers steps down from the cab, Cole W. Davis reluctantly as PTSD had taken its toll. 20 Holman Rd., Moberly, MO 65270 Last Runs 24 E [email protected] BLET Auxiliary 30 18 The Real American Dream R.C. (Rick) Gibbons Brother Ray Vigil, Div. 226, who moved 7126 North Norton, Gladstone, MO 64119 E [email protected] to American from Peru when he was 14 James P. Louis on what it means to be a union member. 257 Forbes Ave. , Tonawanda, NY 14150 E [email protected] TRUSTEES David P. Estes 13120 136th St. Anderson Island, WA 98303 E [email protected] Mark L. Wallace P.O. Box 16039, Asheville, NC 28816 E [email protected] Matt O. Wilson 7 24 8121 Rock Elm Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76131 E [email protected] The Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen Journal (ISSN: 1553-5010 USPS: 120) is published quarterly for $10.00 per year (single copies $3.00) by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, 25 Louisiana Ave. John Bentley Jr. N.W., 7th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. POSTMASTER, Director of Public Relations & Editor E [email protected] please send address changes to: Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen Journal, BLET Record Department, 7061 East Pleasant Valley Road, Independence, Ohio 44131. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduc- Bill Joyce Art Director & Associate Editor tion in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Widows of BLET members will receive free E [email protected] subscriptions upon request to: BLET Record Dept., 7061 East Pleasant Valley Road, Independence, Ohio 44131. National Division WWW.BLE-T.ORG 7061 East Pleasant Valley Road BLET JOURNAL NO. 1 • WINteR 2016 3 Independence, Ohio 44131 up front SAVE THE DATES! 2017 BLET regional meetings he BLET National Division is el to the meeting, registration and a wel- cussion of matters of importance to pleased to announce the dates come reception for each of the two meet- the membership. Additionally, the and locations of its 2017 re- ings will be on Monday (June 5 for San meetings are structured to include op- gional meetings: June 5-9 in Antonio and August 14 for Myrtle tions for fellowship with other mem- San Antonio, Texas; and Au- Beach). Meetings, training classes and bers and their families, entertainment, Tgust 14-18 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. other events will be scheduled through- fun and relaxation. The San Antonio regional meeting out the remainder of the week and will More specific details will be an- will be at the Hyatt Regency-San Antonio include a closing banquet on Thursday nounced at a later date.