INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 27 — Brother L.R. (Randy) Fannon, Jr. was reelected by acclamation to the office of General Chairman at the quadrennial meeting of the Norfolk Southern-Eastern Lines/Wheeling & Lake Erie/Louisville & Indiana Railroad General Committee of Adjustment, held on April 27, 2020.
A Norfolk Southern locomotive engineer, Brother Fannon was elected 1st Vice General Chairman at the GCA’s quadrennial meeting in 2012. He was elevated to the General Chairman’s office following the retirement of Kevin S. Peek on May 12, 2016, and was elected General Chairman by acclamation at the GCA’s quadrennial meeting held a few days later. A member of Division 37 (Norton, Va.), Brother Fannon first joined the Brotherhood effective March 1, 1989. He also serves the National Division as Assistant Coordinator of the Safety Task Force and as Third Alternate National Vice President. Brother Fannon was a member of the Bylaws Committee at the BLET’s Third National Convention in 2014, and served as its Chairman at the Fourth National Convention in 2018.
Also elected by acclamation were: 1st Vice General Chairman Scott R. Bunten, Division 301 (Roanoke, Va.); 2nd Vice General Chairman Chuck Harr, Division 511 (Portsmouth, Ohio); 3rd Vice General Chairman (W&LE) Lonnie Swigert, Division 292 (Brewster, Ohio); 4th Vice General Chairman (L&IRC) Chris Hogan, Division 279 (Jeffersonville, Ind.): Secretary-Treasurer Donnie L. Young, Division 301 (Roanoke, Va.); and Alternate Secretary-Treasurer Casey Gaines, Division 301 (Roanoke, Va.). Brother Young is beginning his sixth term of office as Secretary-Treasurer.
Three Trustees were elected by acclamation: Mike Necessary, Division 37 (Norton, Va.); Lonnie Swigert, Division 292 (Brewster, Ohio); and Stuart Poe, Division 79 (Columbus, Ohio).
Due to widespread travel restrictions as well as limitations on the size of gatherings due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across the United States, delegates to the 2020 NS-Eastern Lines GCA meeting were not able to meet in person to conduct their union business. Instead, they held a virtual meeting through online video conferencing technology. The GCA coordinated with the National Division to obtain permission and advice regarding how to legally conduct the virtual meeting, ensuring that doing so did not violate Brotherhood law or Department of Labor regulations.
Representing the BLET National Division at the meeting were: National President Dennis R. Pierce; National Vice President Mike Twombly; and National Vice President Rick Gibbons. Also, retired National Vice President Cole Davis served as Parliamentarian.
“I congratulate Brother Fannon and all officers of the GCA, and thank them for their dedicated service to our Brotherhood” President Pierce said. “I also want to thank them for inviting me to join their virtual GCA meeting. It is a benefit to our union when our Brothers and Sisters can find a way to commune and interact for the good of the organization, whether it be online or in person.”
A total of 19 delegates representing 12 BLET Divisions were in attendance. In addition to the election of officers, the delegates handled GCA business in an efficient and timely manner. The GCA represents approximately 1,200 members.