CLEVELAND, September 19 — The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the BLET Arbitration Department, is offering a General Chairman’s workshop in St. Louis, Mo., during the week of November 3, 2013.
This workshop will be more of a writing course compared to previous workshops, which will focus on the preparation of submissions for arbitration and general business correspondence. Additionally, the workshop has been expanded by one day and will include a review of the Railway Labor Act.
The workshop will be held from Sunday, November 3, 2013, through noon on Friday, November 8, at the Hilton St. Louis Airport (10330 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Mo., 63134).
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and is limited to the first 15 registrants. General Chairman or their designated subordinates who are interested in registering for the workshop may do so online at www.ble-t.org/gc. If you are not a General Chairman, then you must have your General Chairman’s permission to attend the workshop.
The five-day workshop will begin on Sunday, November 3, starting at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, with a half a day on Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.
While there is no tuition for the class, attendees are responsible for all other expenses.
Attendance is limited to General Chairmen and/or any subordinates they designate who are engaged in arbitration work. The Education & Training Department asks that you bring a copy of your basic Schedule Agreement for reference.
Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will qualify for a $123 per day stipend from the North American Railway Foundation. The stipends will be paid directly to the General Committee Secretary-Treasurer.
The North American Railway Foundation (NARF) is a non-profit operating foundation formed by the Brotherhood’s Relief and Compensation Fund (BR&CF) to support rail history, education, safety, and technology in the United States and Canada. With initial funding and continued Board of Directors stewardship coming from the BR&CF, NARF has supported many non-political projects throughout the United States and Canada over the past 15 years. The primary focus of these efforts has been in support of organized rail labor — giving back to all of the men and women of the railroad community across North America.
Workshop instructors will include: BLET National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert; BLET Vice President Marcus Ruef; Coordinator of Education and Training Jason Wright; and Assistant Director of Arbitration Doug Davidson.
The BLET pays the costs of books and equipment. General Chairmen and Vice General Chairmen who attend are responsible for their transportation costs, along with the cost of room and board. Special arrangements have been made at the Hilton, St. Louis Airport. Once your attendance at the workshop has been approved, you will be sent a confirmation letter that will include instructions on how to reserve a room at the hotel.
For more information, please contact Jason Wright, Coordinator of the BLET Education & Training Dept., at (216) 296-4447 or wright@ble-t.org.