Front row, from left: Joe Ferris, LC Div. 152; Jeff Jones, LC Div. 609; Kevin Sexton, BLET VP; Chris Mullin, LC Div. 336; Mark Wallace, National President; Dave Estes, National S-T.; Gary Best, First VP; Joey Rice, LC Div. 81; Tim Morgan, Missouri SLB Chairman; and Brian Young, S-T, UP-Central GCA. Back row, from left:, Kyle Bagby, GC, UP-Central GCA; Scott Thibodeau, Regional VGC, UP-Central GCA; and Carl Newman, LC Div. 491.
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Following through on National President Mark Wallace’s commitment to engage with BLET members at union halls and local meetings across the country, rather than solely national meetings, officers of the BLET National Division traveled to Missouri this week to participate in the Kansas City Hub’s joint Division meeting on March 18.
The annual event is organized by Local Chairmen of the five BLET Divisions that comprise the KC Hub (UP side): Joey Rice, Division 81; Joe Ferris, Division 152; Chris Mullin, Division 336; Carl Newman, Division 491; and Jeff Jones, Division 609. Local Chairman Rice said this was the KC Hub’s 12th annual joint meeting.
President Wallace provided a state of the union report to the members in attendance, discussing BLET’s current efforts to protect members on multiple fronts, including legislative, regulatory, organizing, and collective bargaining. In a later Q&A with the Union Pacific locomotive engineers, some of the discussion and considerable positive feedback related to the 11/4 work-rest agreement, which Wallace helped negotiate while serving in his prior role as the National Vice President assigned to assist UP General Chairmen.
BLET First Vice President Gary Best, who has been assigned to lead BLET’s response to the proposed UP-Norfolk Southern merger, outlined the union’s reasons for opposing the merger. Kevin Sexton, the current National Vice President assigned to assist the UP General Committees, discussed other topics related to UP. National Secretary-Treasurer David Estes gave a presentation regarding the BLET’s membership figures and financial position.
In a ceremony honoring retired members, plaques were presented to four long-time members who were in attendance: Thomas St. James of Division 152; Brian Law of Division 336; Jeff Strandt of Division 81; and Danny Ring of Division 81.