The proposal for voluntary unification of UTU and BLE has again been sidetracked, the ballots have been impounded and the results of the voting sealed. Sadly, what this means is that the members' dues money is still being spent to promote division and strife rather than the betterment of railroad jobs.

It is our understanding that after UTU agreed to BLE's demand to have BLE ballots in Canada counted separate from their US ballots, a group within BLE raised a legal challenge to that segregation of ballots on the grounds that it violated the BLE constitution. Apparently, several BLE divisions made cash donations from division funds to finance that legal challenge, and there is now some question as to whether those cash donations by the divisions also violated the BLE constitution and/or Federal Law. Furthermore, there is considerable speculation that those opposing consolidation may make an attempt during the upcoming BLE Convention to stop any unification with UTU regardless of the outcome of the vote or the court case.

In light of all of these potential pitfalls and possibly lengthy legal battles, UTU President Boyd has petitioned the National Mediation Board to declare a single operating craft for representation purposes on the KCS railroad, and commence a "winner-take-all" representation election. Subsequent elections on other railroads would follow the KCS election.

If all of the legal wrangling can be resolved before it's too late, it is our hope that voluntary consolidation may still be possible. Otherwise, one union or the other may simply cease to exist. Either way, the days of rival operating unions wasting resources in pointless battles against one another must come to an end.