Education & Training
About BLET Education and Training
The Education and Training Department of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen traces its formal roots to 1991, when the Constitution and Bylaws of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers was amended to provide for a department of Education & Training at the national level.

Today’s BLET Bylaws carries that same mandate, and stipulates that a Vice President or the National Secretary-Treasurer would be appointed by the President to head the department.
SECTION 7(g) BYLAWS
The E&T Department shall provide training to Officers and Members at all levels of the Brotherhood in order that they may: “… improve their performance in their interactions within the union; between the union and management; between the union and the public; between the union and the various federal, state and local governments; and with all other labor movements and activities.”
Upcoming Training Classes
The training will be available online via Zoom. Select from the list below to find your class.
Local Chairman
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct two virtual training classes for Local Chairman via Zoom from the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio.
Classes will be held February 22-24, 2022, and March 22-24, 2022. These virtual classes are scheduled to run each day from 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Eastern, and are designed to help Local Chairmen develop and hone the skills necessary to provide the best representation possible to our members.
Registration for the classes is available to Local Chairmen on a first come, first served basis. Available slots are limited to 30 for each class, so those who are interested should register as soon as possible. Once you register for the class you will receive a confirmation with information on how to attend virtually and some tips about the controls on the interface.
Among other topics, this class will cover BLET organizational structure and functions, representation of members at disciplinary and decertification hearings, union leadership skills, claim and grievance handling, and writing and editing skills. Additional course topics include:
- Negotiating Skills;
- Railway Labor Act;
- Section 3 and 6 Notices;
- Arbitration;
- Appeal and letter writing.
Class instructors and guest speakers will include: Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President; James P. Louis, Vice President and Department Head of Education and Training; Doug Davidson, Director of Arbitration; and Jason Wright, Special Representative and Director of Education and Training.
For more information contact Jason Wright at (216) 241-2630 ext. 247.
Secretary-Treasurer
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct two virtual training classes for Division Secretary-Treasurers via Zoom from the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio. Classes will be held December 14-16, 2021, and January 4-6, 2022 from 10AM-5PM.
Registration for the classes is available to Division Secretary-Treasurers on a first come, first serve basis. Available slots are limited to 20 for each class, so those who are interested should register as soon as possible.
Once you register you will receive a confirmation email in the following days which will include the link you will need to use to participate.
Secretary-Treasurers will receive training in a number of areas, including how to use the BLET National Division’s UnionTrack reporting system for membership reporting, OLMS tax compliance tips, Division Trustee reporting, and computer skills (Word, Excel, search engines, etc.). During the three-day sessions, members will also learn proper record keeping techniques, minute-taking, and methods for filing various Department of Labor and Railroad Retirement reports. The class will also focus on filing Internal Revenue Service Federal tax reports such as CT-1, 941, W-2, W-3, and W-4, and a focus on essential items such as 990 authorizations, bonding, check registers, banking, and other related items. A goal for our instructors is to do everything they can to make the Secretary Treasurer’s job as easy as it can be.
Class instructors and guest speakers will include: Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President; James P. Louis, Vice President and Department Head of Education and Training; Megan Mead, Director of the Record and Compliance Departments; Walt Schmidt, Director of Online Services; and Jason Wright, Special Representative and Director of Education and Training.
For more information contact Jason Wright at 216-241-2630 ext. 247.
Education & Training Contact
JASON WRIGHT
wright@ble-t.org
(216) 241-2630, ext. 247
Education & Training Contact
Recent Education & Training News
BLET to host virtual training for LM-2 filers
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct a workshop for all Secretary-Treasurers who file LM-2 reports for their General Committee of Adjustment (GCA), Division, or State Legislative Board. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this workshop will be held virtually on March 1-3, 2022.
BLET to host virtual training for LM-2 filers
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct a workshop for all Secretary-Treasurers who file LM-2 reports for their General Committee of Adjustment (GCA), Division or State Legislative Board. This workshop will be held virtually on March 16, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BLET to conduct General Chairman training class in June 2020
The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the BLET Arbitration Department, is offering a General Chairman’s training class from June 2-4, 2020, at the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio.
BLET to host Local Chairman training class, May 3-8, 2020
The BLET Education and Training Department will host a Local Chairman training class from May 3-8, 2020, at the BLET National Division headquarters and Training Center in Independence, Ohio. The class is designed to help Local Chairmen develop and hone the skills necessary to provide the best representation possible to our members.
BLET to conduct Legislative Representatives class in March 2020
The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the National Legislative Office, will conduct a class for BLET Division Legislative Representatives in Washington, D.C., from March 23-26, 2020.
BLET to host Secretary-Treasurer class in February 2020
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct a training class for Secretary-Treasurers from February 23-28, 2020, at the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio.
BLET to hold ST training class for LM-2 filers
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct a workshop for all Secretary-Treasurers who file LM-2 reports for their General Committee of Adjustment (GCA), Division or State Legislative Board. This workshop will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana from March 10-13, 2020.