The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is a labor union founded in Marshall, Michigan, on 8 May 1863 as the Brotherhood of the Footboard. It was the first permanent trade organization for railroad workers in the US. A year later it was renamed the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (B of LE). The B of LE took its present name in 2004 when it became a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). In the 19th century, the brotherhood generally took a conciliatory approach in dealing with railroad management, preferring to negotiate reasonable demands than to go on strike. The brotherhood was seen as elitist by other railway unions, and sometimes came into conflict during strikes. However, it was respected by its members. By 1925 it had accumulated large investments to support member benefits and pensions. That year it was found that some of these investments were troubled. The executives launched into risky projects in an attempt to recoup their losses, which failed, forcing a change in leadership. The new grand chief engineer, Alvanley Johnston, steered the union until 1950. In 1946 negotiations with the government of Harry S. Truman broke down and the union went on strike for two days, causing nationwide havoc, before coming to an agreement on hours and wages. In 2004 the brotherhood merged with the Teamsters. History Foundation An early attempt to form a union for locomotive engineers was made on 6–9 November 1855 at a meeting in Baltimore at which it was agreed to form a "National Protective Association of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers of the United States". Benjamin Hoxie was elected president, and William D. Robinson secretary. The organization held a number of meetings up to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, but did not make much progress. In April 1863 nineteen locomotive engineers met at Robinson's house and decided to form the brotherhood. At a meeting on 8 May 1863 in Detroit the name "Brotherhood of the Footboard" was chosen and Robinson was elected as the first grand chief engineer. It was a mutual aid society which created a variety of accident, death and burial insurance programs for its members. According to Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa, the BLE was America's earliest labor union. It was the first of the "Big Four" of railroad worker brotherhoods. The others were the Order