Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen | |
Founded | 1901 |
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Headquarters | Front Royal, Virginia, United States |
Location | |
Members | 10,000 |
Affiliations | AFL–CIO, Transportation Trades Department, Signalmen's Political League (SPL) |
Website |
The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), founded in 1901, is a labor union representing over 10,000 signal employees across the United States and Canada. These members are responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repair of critical railroad traffic control systems, including signaling equipment, highway-rail grade crossing warning systems, and switching mechanisms. The union also represents employees involved in manufacturing and building signal equipment.
Signal employees play a vital role in maintaining the safety and efficiency of rail transportation networks. Their work includes upgrading signal systems, performing regular inspections, and restoring operations in the event of system failures. Signalmen undergo extensive training through a combination of on-the-job experience and formal apprenticeship programs, which cover federal regulations, railroad operations, electronics, and mechanics. After completing up to four years of apprenticeship, members achieve journeyman status, with many advancing further in modern technology and electronic circuitry.
The BRS is headquartered in Front Royal, Virginia, and operates through a network of local lodges that represent members employed by specific railroads or divisions.
The union is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and its Transportation Trades Department, emphasizing its active role within the broader labor movement. It represents signal employees across both freight and passenger railroads, including commuter rail lines.
The BRS's leadership consists of President Michael S. Baldwin, who has held the position since 2021, and Secretary-Treasurer James M. Finnegan, serving since 2019. Vice Presidents include Tim Tarrant, Cory Claypool, Kurt Mullins, Quinn Norman, Brandon Elvey, and Doug VanderJagt.
The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen remains dedicated to promoting the well-being of its members, advancing the craft of railroad signaling, and advocating for the recognition of workers' rights. It strives to enhance members' prosperity and happiness while upholding the principles of truth, justice, and solidarity.
The United Transportation Union (UTU) was a broad-based, transportation labor union that represented about 70,000 active and retired railroad, bus, mass transit, and airline workers in the United States. The UTU was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. On August 11, 2014, it merged with the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA) to form the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, known by the acronym SMART.
The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between December 28, 1917, and March 1, 1920. It was the largest American experiment with nationalization, and was undertaken against a background of war emergency following American entry into World War I. During its brief existence, the USRA made major investments in the United States railroad system, and introduced standardized locomotive and railroad car classes, known as USRA standard. After the end of World War I, while some in the United States advocated for continuing nationalization, ultimately the railroads were returned to their previous owners in early 1920.
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BRS, Brs, or, BrS, may refer to:
The Transportation Trades Department, AFL–CIO (TTD) is a constitutionally mandated department of the AFL–CIO. It was founded in February 1990 to provide AFL–CIO-affiliated unions whose members work in the transportation industry or who build transportation infrastructure a unified policy-making voice on transportation issues. TTD has 37 member unions as of October 2022.
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W.A "Walt" Barrows is the current Labor Member of the United States Railroad Retirement Board. He was nominated by President Barack Obama on February 28, 2011 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 26, 2011. He replaced outgoing board member V.M. "Butch" Speakman, who announced his retirement in 2010. The appointment of Barrows to the Board was supported by a number of labor organizations, including the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, as well as the Transportation Trades Department. Barrows has had a long career in the railroad industry, beginning with Norfolk and Southern Railroad in 1974. He has held numerous positions with Locals 199 and 228, including Local Chairman, Local President, and Recording-Financial Secretary. Most recently, Barrows served as the International Secretary-Treasurer for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. In addition, he has served as a labor member on the joint healthcare subcommittee, which oversees the Railroad Employee's National Health and Welfare Plan. In 2004, 2007, and 2010, Barrows served as labor trustee, responsible for oversight of the National Railroad Retirement Trust Fund.
Railway Labor Executives' Association (RLEA) was a federation of rail transport labor unions in the United States and Canada, often known as the railroad brotherhoods. It was founded in 1926 with the purpose of acting as a legislative lobbying and policy advisory body. At times, it played a prominent role in setting rail transport policy in the U.S., and was party to six U.S. Supreme Court cases. It disbanded in January 1997, with representation, collective bargaining, and legislative lobbying assumed by the newly formed Rail Division of the AFL–CIO Transportation Trades Department.
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