Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen

Dear Sirs and Brothers:


Attached you will find an agreement recently signed between BNSF and this BLET General Committee of Adjustment that governs how BNSF and each of our BLET Divisions will establish engineer "mentor" positions when and where the local parties concur. As background on the agreement, the GCA was approached earlier this year by the BNSF Northwest Division asking that we provide engineer mentors to assist with mountain grade operations during winter months. This service had previously been provided by exempt road foremen. We then set out to develop an agreement that would bring this service under the umbrella of "scheduled service".

We drew some of the agreement from an agreement already in place on the former SLSF GCA, our thanks to General Chairman Gibbons for that assistance. The agreement draws from the Safety Summit Agreement in many ways as well. Perhaps most important is the fact that the agreement gives each BLET Division the right to determine if they participate in the mentor process or not.

As far as ratification is concerned, pursuant to the handling suggested by the National Division, the agreement was then sent for consideration to those Divisions on the Northwest Division where BNSF has indicated an interest in assigning mentors with Division 238 in Tacoma being the first to ratify the agreement. Accordingly, we met with BNSF to fully execute the agreement on behalf of Division 238 with the understanding that the remaining BLET Divisions will exercise their ratification option when they consider local participation. Please remember that the agreement does not mandate engineer mentors, but it does address how they will be assigned, compensated and defines their duties when and where BNSF is interested in assigning them.

We would suggest that you contact your Division General Manager or his designee when you receive this mailing to determine if there is local interest in establishing engineer mentors at your location with each of you then bringing the agreement before your Divisions where BNSF advises of their interest. Please contact the office if you have any further questions.

Fraternally yours
/s/ Dennis R. Pierce
General Chairman

cc:     Don Hahs, BLET National President
         Steve Speagle, BLET Assigned VP
         All BLET GC's, BNSF