CLEVELAND, January 4 — On January 1, 2011, a new Advisory Board began its four year term of office for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. National Division President Dennis Pierce installed the new Advisory Board; and as part of that process, all Advisory Board Officers took the following International Brotherhood of Teamsters Oath of Office.
- “I, __________________, do sincerely promise, upon my honor as a trade unionist and a Teamster, that I will faithfully use all of my energies and abilities to perform the duties of my office, for the ensuing term, as prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws of this Union. As an officer of this great Union, I will, at all times, act solely in the interests of the members, devote the resources of our Union to furthering their needs and goals, work to maintain a union that is free of corruption, to preserve and strengthen democratic principles in our Union, and to protect the members’ interests in all dealings with employers. I will never forget that it is the members who put me here, and it is the members whom I will serve. I further promise that I will faithfully comply with and enforce the Constitution and laws of the International Union and Bylaws of this Union, that I will, at all times, by example, promote harmony and preserve the dignity of this Union. I also promise that at the close of my official term, I will promptly deliver any money or property of this Union in my possession to my successor in office.”
The installation of the new Advisory Board completes the BLET’s first ever rank and file election of National Division Officers. As the first National President to be elected by the rank and file membership in the BLET’s 147 year history, National President Pierce took particular pride in the part of the Oath that states, “I will never forget that it is the members who put me here, and it is the members whom I will serve.”
The Advisory Board is composed of the 11 highest-ranking elected officers in the Organization, and is the chief policy making body of the BLET between conventions. The Board has the authority to make decisions and perform acts and duties on behalf of the National Division that are not in conflict with or otherwise provided for in the IBT Constitution, the Rail Conference Bylaws, or the BLET Bylaws.
In addition to President Pierce, the BLET Advisory Board members include: First Vice President E. “Lee” Pruitt; National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert; Vice President & National Legislative Representative John Tolman; Vice President & Arbitration Director Marcus Ruef; Vice President Mike Twombly; Vice President Willard Knight; Vice President Gil Gore; Vice President Steve Bruno; Vice President Cole Davis; and Vice President Mike Priester.
President Pierce said, “I want to again offer my thanks to all members who took the time to vote in our recent election. There is no doubt that there is much work to be done. I am confident that the members through their actions have assembled an Advisory Board that is dedicated to the task at hand, that being working in the best interests of the membership. The democratic process has served its purpose and our mission now is to unite all members in our common cause as we move forward.”