CLEVELAND, July 3 — General Chairman Matt O. Wilson was reelected by acclamation at the BNSF/MRL General Committee of Adjustment’s triennial meetings in Las Vegas on June 27.
Brother Wilson is a Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotive engineer and a member of BLET Division 104 (Spokane, Wash.). He has been a BLET member since July 1, 1980. He first began serving as General Chairman on April 8, 2008, following the promotion of then-General Chairman Dennis R. Pierce to the BLET Advisory Board. Brother Wilson was then reelected by acclamation on July 2, 2010.
Also reelected by acclamation were: 1st Vice Chairman Edward G. LaPrath, Division 392 (Havre, Mont.); 2nd Vice Chairman Kenton J. Psota, Division 623 (McCook, Neb.); 3rd Vice Chairman Matt Brandt, Division 727 (Sterling, Colo.); and Secretary-Treasurer James H. Nelson, Division 644 (Galesburg, Ill.).
The following alternates were also elected by acclamation: 1st Alternate Vice Chairman Gary S. Larsen, Division 518 (Seattle, Wash.); 2nd Alternate Steven J. Halbrook, Division 94 (Gillette, Wyo.).; and 3rd Alternate Brian H. Fransen, Division 207 (Casper, Wyo.). Brother Kevin Foley of Division 517 (St. Paul, Minn.) was elected to serve as Alternate Secretary-Treasurer.
The meeting began on June 24 and concluded following the reading of the bills, which took place the morning of June 28. The 44 delegates in attendance considered a number of issues during the triennial convention.
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce addressed the delegates and discussed the business of the National Division. President Pierce is a former General Chairman of the BNSF/MRL GCA.
“I congratulate these Brothers on a job well done and thank them for their continued service to our Brotherhood,” President Pierce said. “From first hand experience, I know that the BNSF/MRL General Committee of Adjustment continually works together for the betterment of the individual members and the Organization as a whole. They are to be commended for their solidarity and Brotherhood.”
Additional representatives from the National Division included: First Vice President and Alternate President E. Lee Pruitt; and National Vice President Mike Priester, who is the Vice President assigned to the BNSF/MRL GCA.
Fellow BNSF General Chairman Alan Holdcraft (former ATSF) and newly promoted Vice President Rick Gibbons (former STL-SF) were also in attendance.
The BLET Education and Training Department also conducted a one-day workshop for Local Chairman. Nineteen newly elected Local Chairman were delegates to the convention; they enjoyed the workshop while gaining a great deal of valuable knowledge and experience.
Brother Wilson became a full time Vice General Chairman for the BNSF/MRL GCA in 1999, moving his family from Spokane, Wash., to Ft. Worth, Texas, to serve the Brotherhood. He was elected by acclamation as 1st Vice General Chairman in 2001, 2004 and 2007 and General Chairman in 2010.
The BNSF/MRL GCA is the BLET’s largest General Committee, representing 3,600 members from 44 separate BLET Divisions on two railroads.