Meeting July 20-24, 1998, at the invitation of STFRM, the unions adopted a framework of open and full communication, harmony and friendship to bind all railway workers in Canada, Mexico and the United States to advance and protect the peculiarities of railroad work.

"All of us understand that in order to provide the best for our members in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. that we must work together -- support each other in a way that recognizes no North American border. We understand that we cannot allow the railroad companies to set any of us against each other on the basis of nationality," said President Fleming, who addressed the group on behalf of the BMWE and the BLE.

In the presence of reporters from all the major newspapers in Mexico, Fleming declared, "Today I confidently can tell the multi-national railroad companies, the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States that there is a new day dawning in the North American Rail Labor movement. As a result of these first-ever strategy sessions between the Mexican, Canadian and U. S. railroad unions we have signed an historic agreement that forges our unions together with the strength of steel that comprises our rail and the power that moves our trains."

The full text of President Fleming's speech and the Trilateral Letter of Agreement can be found at the BMWE's web site and and will be printed in the next issue of the JOURNAL.

Also in the next JOURNAL will be the story of the BMWE's developing relationship with the Mexican union over the last several years, including a visit earlier this year, following the three-week wildcat strike that began in February over privatization (See May 1998 JOURNAL), when members of the BMWE and other unions traveled to Mexico and met with Salvador Zarco, head of the Committee to Defend the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and other strikers.

In addition to President Fleming, the BMWE delegation included Canadian Vice President Gary Housch, General Chairman of the Southern Pacific Atlantic Federation Roger Sanchez and Director of Research Joel Myron.