CLEVELAND, February 9 — Registration is now open for the BLET Education and Training Department’s workshop for first-time Local Chairmen in March.
The workshop will be held March 21–25 at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill. Bill Walpert, BLET National Secretary-Treasurer & Director of the Education & Training Department, said the workshop is specifically designed for newly-elected local chairmen.
Ken Kroeger, Coordinator of the Education & Training Department, said veteran Local Chairmen and Vice-Local Chairmen are also eligible to attend, but precedence will be given to newly-elected Local Chairmen. All attendees must be approved by their Division’s Local Chairman.
“This class will teach newly-elected Local Chairmen the fundamentals of effective membership representation,” NST Walpert said. “It is highly recommended that first time officers attend one of our workshops.”
Among other assignments, the workshop will include BLET organizational structure and functions, representing members at disciplinary and decertification hearings, union leadership skills, claim and grievance handling, and writing and editing skills. Participants also will learn how to effectively use the BLET arbitration database. A highlight of the workshop is when attendees participate in a simulated disciplinary hearing.
Local Chairmen must register for the workshop online through the BLET website at: https://www.ble-t.org/lc.
Workshop instructors will include: BLET National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert; BLET Vice-President and Director of Arbitration Marcus J. Ruef; Special Representative & Coordinator of Education and Training Ken Kroeger; and Assistant Director of Arbitration Doug Davidson.
The BLET National Division pays the costs of books, equipment, tuition and a Thursday evening graduation banquet. BLET members who attend are responsible for their transportation costs as well as their room and board. Members will be provided with instructions on how to make room reservations after registering for the workshop through the BLET website.
Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will qualify for a $116 per day stipend from the North American Railway Foundation (NARF). The stipends will be paid directly to their Division Secretary-Treasurer.
NARFis 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 10 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.
The workshop will begin with an orientation meeting the evening of Sunday, March 21 (6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.), and will conclude after breakfast on Friday, March 26. A graduation ceremony and banquet will take place the evening of Thursday, March 25.
Registration for the workshop is limited to the first 22 people who register through the BLET website.
Anyone with questions should contact Ken Kroeger, Coordinator of the Education and Training Department, at: (216) 272-0986 or Kroeger@ble-t.org.