CLEVELAND, March 13 — On February 28, 2009, General Chairman Tom Roberts retired from the Conrail SAA/CSXT Northern District General Committee Adjustment. Brother Roberts was serving his third term of office at the time of his retirement.
He was first elected on May 16, 2001, and was elected again by acclamation on May 25, 2004, and most recently on May 21, 2007. Before winning election to General Chairman, Roberts held the position of Vice-General Chairman, and has served the BLE/BLET as a union officer continuously since 1989.
Born in Port Jervis, N.Y., Brother Roberts hired as a fireman with the Erie-Lackawanna. His slot on the CSX Northern District Engineer””s roster is June 11, 1965. He was promoted to engineer on February 10, 1972, and joined BLE Division 276 in 1971. He transferred to Division 601 in 1976. Roberts was appointed Local Chairman of Division 601 in February 1989, and ran unopposed in 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2000.
He served in elected office of the Conrail General Committee as Alternate District Chairman (D-E-F-G) from 1993 – 1997; and won election to Alternate District Chairman (E-F-G) from 1997-1999. He rose to full District Chairman on Conrail Split Day (1999), and was elected Vice-General Chairman in 2000.
His fellow General Chairmen elected Roberts to the office of Chairman of the Eastern General Chairmen””s Association. Brother Roberts also served as Chairman of the Eastern Union Meeting Association from 1995-2000. He was Secretary-Treasurer of EUMA from 1993-1995, and Liaison Officer from 1991-1993.
Tom Roberts served in the United States Marine Corps from 1966 to 1969, including a 13-month tour on the DMZ in Vietnam in 1967-1968, and was Honorably Discharged in 1969, resuming engine service. In 1973, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from the SUNY New Paltz, while working for the Erie-Lackawanna.
Brother Roberts has two grown children: a daughter, Alison, who lives in South Philadelphia with her husband Glenn and grandson, Max; he also has a son, Damian, who makes his home in Los Angeles, California. Tom and his wife, Mary, make their home in the Town of Tonawanda, in Western New York.
Jim Louis will take Brother Roberts place as General Chairman.
“I congratulate Brother Roberts and thank him for his numerous years of dedicated and honorable service to the Brotherhood,” National President Ed Rodzwicz said. “I know Jim Louis has some big shoes to fill, but he is a friend and I know he will do an admirable job.”
Brother Louis is in the unique position of serving the Brotherhood as Chairman of the New York State Legislative Board and General Chairman of the Conrail SAA/CSXT Northern District General Committee of Adjustment.