CLEVELAND, August 28 — The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the BLET Arbitration Department, is proud to host a Local Chairman Workshop at the BLET Training Center in Cleveland from October 11 through October 16, 2015.
The week-long course will begin with an orientation and basic structure session at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. Full-day classes will run from Monday, October 12, through Friday, October 16. The workshop will conclude with a casual dinner on Friday evening, October 16, 2015, and hotel check-out and travel day is on Saturday, October 17.
Among other topics, the workshop 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:
• Duties of the Local Chairman;
• Bylaws requirements;
• Duty of Fair Representation;
• Basic understanding of the Railway Labor Act;
• Appellate writing;
• Interviewing witnesses;
• Developing a defense theory;
• Due Process; and
• Making your case.
A highlight of the workshop is when attendees participate in a simulated disciplinary hearing.
The Education & Training Department asks that you bring your portable computer to class with you on the day of orientation. Ideally, you should bring whatever portable technology you typically use to perform your duties, whether it be a laptop, Mac, tablet, iPad, or whatever your machine of choice (with Microsoft Word). Before your arrival, find out if your machine has Wi-Fi capabilities. If your machine is not Wi-Fi compatible, please contact Jason Wright, Director of Education and Training, so he can make arrangements.
BLET officers who are interested in registering for the workshop must do so online at: www.ble-t.org/lc. After registering online, workshop attendees will receive an e-mail confirmation that will include hotel registration information. Those who attend are responsible for their own transportation costs as well as their room and board.
Registration for the Local Chairman workshop is on a first-come, first-served basis with class size limited to the first 20 who register. Anyone who registers after September 20, 2015, please contact Jason Wright, BLET Education & Training Department, at (216) 296-4447 or email at wright@ble-t.org so he can check hotel availability.
Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will qualify for a $129 per day stipend from the North American Railway Foundation (NARF). Depending on the class, the stipends will be paid directly to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Division, General Committee of Adjustment, or State Legislative Board.
NARF is a non-profit 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 19 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.