CLEVELAND, December 18 — The Advisory Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen yesterday elected Vice President Dennis R. Pierce to the position of First Vice President & Alternate President, the second-highest office in the union.
Additionally, Gil Gore became the newest BLET Vice President as he was elevated from the First Alternate Vice President’s position to fill Pierce’s vacancy on the Advisory Board. Vice President Gore previously served as General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Southern Region General Committee of Adjustment.
Pierce was promoted to the office of National Vice President on April 8, 2008. He was elected to the office of First Alternate National Vice President in June of 2006 at the BLET’s First Quadrennial Convention in Las Vegas.
“I would like to thank the Advisory Board for their vote of confidence and support,” First Vice President Pierce said. “I will dedicate myself to this new assignment to the best of my ability and will do my utmost to meet the expectations of the Advisory Board and the membership.”
Pierce, 51, is a member of BLET Division 687 (Sioux City, Iowa) and is a BNSF locomotive engineer. He has been a BLET member since April 1, 1981. He was elected to serve his Division as Local Chairman in 1991 and four years later was elected to the office of full time Vice General Chairman of the BNSF/MRL General Committee of Adjustment. He held that office from 1995 until elevating to the office of General Chairman in 2001.
As General Chairman from 2001-2008, Pierce presided over the BLET’s largest General Committee of Adjustment — the BNSF/MRL General Committee represents 3,500 members from 44 separate BLET divisions.
As National Vice President, Pierce was assigned to assist the CSX Transportation General Committees of Adjustment. The membership at CSX overwhelmingly ratified a new System Agreement during his tenure at CSX.
As First Vice President, Pierce will serve on the Executive Committee with National President Paul Sorrow and National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert.
“I look forward to serving on the Executive Committee with Brother Sorrow and Brother Walpert, and I hope to complement their strong leadership,” Pierce said.
To fill the vacancy on the Advisory Board created by Pierce’s promotion, Brother Gil L. Gore was elevated to the office of National Vice President.
Gore, 60, joined BLET Division 193 in Gretna, La., on February 1, 1974, and is a Union Pacific locomotive engineer. The past 30 years of his live have been devoted to serving the Brotherhood and its members.
Vice President Gore served Division 193 as Local Chairman for 20 years from 1980 to 2000. He was elected Vice General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Southern Region GCofA in 1986, an office held held until 1998. In 2000, he was elected to the General Chairman’s position on the UP-SR GCofA.
Gore was elected Fourth Alternate National Vice President at the BLET’s First Quadrennial Convention in June of 2006. He has also served as Chairman of the Bylaws Committee at the 2001 and 2006 BLET national conventions.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve the membership of the BLET as Vice President,” Brother Gore said. “I look forward to working with President Sorrow and the members of the Advisory Board for the betterment of our Brotherhood.”
President Sorrow congratulated Brother Pierce and Brother Gore on their promotions and challenged them to work even harder for the membership in their new positions.
“I am extremely optimistic about the future of the Brotherhood because of the leadership provided by our new Advisory Board,” President Sorrow said. “I welcome Brother Gore to the Advisory Board with open arms, and I know he and Brother Pierce will do an excellent job of representing the membership.
“Brother Pierce and Brother Gore are extremely bright and dedicated union officers who will make our Advisory Board one of the most dynamic in recent memory. There are many challenges that lie ahead, but I look forward to working with the new Advisory Board to advance the Brotherhood and meet those challenges head-on. Our future is indeed bright.”