November 2008

Tuesday's election results put rail employees and members of all unions in a much better position than we have been in for a very long time. Hope is on the horizon! With a Democrat in the White House who believes in the strength and value of America’s working families, a Vice President who wholeheartedly supports the rail industry, and a stronger Democratic majority in both the Senate and the House, we are hopeful that we can make some real headway with those issues that are of importance to railroad employees and their families. Democrats will enter the 111^th Congress with control of at least 55 seats, the largest majority for either party since 1994 when Republicans gained eight Senate seats and control of the chamber. Now we need to make sure that those we helped get elected are held accountable.

Many thanks go out to all of our Auxiliary members and BLET members who worked tirelessly during this election cycle to campaign for those elected officials who are “on our side.” As our President Becky Schneider stated in the Autumn issue of the BLET Auxiliary News, “. . . when it comes to our issues, the simple fact remains, that it is mostly Democrats who allow our issues to be heard.”