CLEVELAND, July 16 — Space remains for the upcoming BLET Education & Training Department workshop for Local and General Chairmen who represent members working at passenger and commuter railroads.
The five-day workshop will be held August 23-27, 2009, on the campus of the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md. It will begin the evening of Sunday, August 23 and will conclude with a banquet the evening of Thursday, August 27.
All General Chairmen, Vice General Chairmen, Local Chairmen and Vice Local Chairmen who work for the following railroads are encouraged to register as soon as possible: Amtrak (and all Amtrak commuter affiliates), Long Island Rail Road, Metra, Metro North, New Jersey Transit, PATH, and SEPTA. Registration is on a first come, first served basis with class size limited to the first 22 who register.
Attendees must register for the August workshop online through the BLET website at: https://www.ble-t.org/lc.
“This is the first time we have had a protective workshop that is just for passenger representatives,” said National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert, who is also Director of the BLET Education & Training Department. “The content is a little different and is drawn from issues faced by passenger General Chairmen and Local Chairmen.”
The BLET pays the cost of tuition for the attendees, while the members who attend are responsible for paying for their own transportation, room and board.
Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will qualify for a $109 per day stipend from the North American Railway Foundation (NARF). The stipends will be paid directly to the Secretary-Treasurer of the member’s Division.
NARF is a non-profit operating foundation formed by the Brotherhood’s Relief and Compensation Fund (BR&CF) to support rail history, education, safety, and technology in the United States and Canada. With initial funding and continued Board of Directors stewardship coming from the BR&CF, NARF has supported many non-political projects throughout the United States and Canada over the past 10 years. The primary focus of these efforts has been in support of organized rail labor — giving back to all of the men and women of the railroad community across North America.
The workshop will begin on Sunday, August 23 with orientation, introductions and overview of the BLET. Monday, August 24 will include information on interviewing and investigations and preparing for a mock investigation. On Tuesday, August 25, members will participate in a mock investigation and will discuss appeal theories. Members will participate in a mock arbitration hearing on Wednesday, August 26. On the final day of the workshop, Thursday, August 27, members will join in a session on media relations, and the banquet will be held that evening.
Workshop instructors will include: National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert; National Vice President & Director of Arbitration Marcus Ruef; Coordinator of Education & Training and Special Representative Ken Kroeger; and Assistant Director of Arbitration Doug Davidson.
For more information, please contact Ken Kroeger, Coordinator of the BLET Education & Training Dept., at (216) 272-0986 or kroeger@ble-t.org.