INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, September 25 — Brother Brian P. Carr was elected by acclamation to his first full term as General Chairman of the Union Pacific-Western Lines General Committee of Adjustment at the GCA’s quadrennial meeting in San Diego, Calif., September 17-19, 2018.
Brother Carr has been a member of Division 692 (Tracy, Calif.) since he first joined the Brotherhood on March 1, 2000. He was elected by acclamation to serve the GCA as 1st Vice General Chairman in 2014, and was elevated to the office of General Chairman effective October 1, 2017, following the retirement of D.W. (Bill) Hannah.
Also elected by acclamation were: 1st Vice Chairman Paul R. Ansberry, Division 158 (Sparks, Nevada); 2nd Vice Chairman Curt V. Houston, Division 415 (Roseville, Calif.); and 3rd Vice Chairman Kenneth B. Walker Jr., Division 28 (Tucson, Ariz.). Brother C.H. (Chuck) Fleming III of BLET Division 192 (El Paso, Texas) was reelected by acclamation to his fourth term as Secretary-Treasurer, and Paulo Tortorice of Division 5 (Los Angeles) was elected Alternate-Secretary-Treasurer.
Appointed to serve as Trustees were: Curt V. Houston, Division 415 (Roseville, Calif.); Paulo Tortorice, Division 5 (Los Angeles); and Jose L. Covarrubias, Division 214 (Long Beach, Calif.).
Representing the BLET National Division at the meeting were: National President Dennis R. Pierce; First Vice President E. Lee Pruitt; Vice President and National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman; National Vice President Michael D. Twombly; National Vice President Michael D. Priester; National Vice President R.C. (Rick) Gibbons; Director of Benefits A. Dan Cook III; and Director of Regulator Affairs Vincent G. Verna.
“I am proud to congratulate Brother Carr and all officers of the UP-Western Lines General Committee of Adjustment,” President Pierce said. “I thank them for their service to our Brotherhood and I know they will do an excellent job of representing their members.”
Additional Brotherhood guests included: Texas State Legislative Board Chairman Gary Pedigo; California State Legislative Board Chairman Ryan Snow; General Chairman Dana Marlow, Union Pacific-Southern Region GCA; General Chairman Dick Crow, Union Pacific-Northern Region GCA; General Chairman Steve Leyshon, Union Pacific-Western Region GCA; 1st Vice Chairman William Wallace, Union Pacific-Western Region GCA; General Chairman Dave Geisler, Union Pacific-Eastern District GCA; General Chairman Ronnie Rhodes, Union Pacific-Central Region GCA; and 1st Vice Chairman Kyle Bagby, Union Pacific-Central Region GCA.
Retired UP-WL General Chairman Bill Hannah was also in attendance, and he was presented with a retirement pin. Also, Secretary-Treasurer Chuck Fleming was presented with a plaque in recognition of his 43-years of service. In 2003, Brother Fleming was elected to serve the GCA as 2nd Vice Chairman and Alternate Secretary-Treasurer. In 2004, he was elevated to the office of GCA Secretary-Treasurer following the retirement of Tommy Gowan. Brother Fleming was subsequently reelected by acclamation to serve as GCA Secretary-Treasurer in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Brother Fleming first began serving the Brotherhood in 1994 when he was elected Local Chairman of Division 591, a position he held through 2015.
The BLET’s Union Pacific-Western Lines General Committee of Adjustment is comprised of 17 different BLET Divisions, representing more than 2,800 active and retired members from the Union Pacific Railroad and the Pacific Harbor Line Railroad. They live and work primarily in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Kansas.