All BLET members are being urged to participate in a Day of Action on Wednesday, January 30, to let Congress know that we do not support cuts to Railroad Retirement, Social Security, Medicare and education.

Millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations have hired an army of lobbyists to invade Capitol Hill and persuade Congress to make cuts to these important parts of our social fabric, while keeping tax breaks for the rich and corporate America. We may not have their army of lobbyists, but we do have a coalition of Teamsters and other groups across America that are mobilizing our own grassroots army to stop these draconian cuts that only benefit the top 1% of Americans.

On Wednesday, January 30, events are being held across America to let Congress know loud and clear that we will not stand for cuts to the earned benefits of all Americans and that it is time for the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share.

The BLET National Division is urging Divisions, the BLET Auxiliary, General Committees of Adjustment and State Legislative Boards to participate in this January 30 Day of Action and to make your active and retired members aware as well. To find an event happening in your area, please go towww.americawantstowork.org. Please check back often as events are continually being added as they are finalized.

If your Division, Auxiliary, GCA or SLB plans to participate in one of these events, please let the Teamsters Department of Field & Political Action know by calling (202) 624-6993. Rally signs are available for your use.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Field and Political Action at (202) 624-6993 for more information.

CLEVELAND, December 17 — On December 13, BLET Vice President and National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman testified in support of Amtrak and rail labor at a hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee regarding high-speed rail and the future of the Northeast Corridor.

Vice President Tolman testified that Amtrak has done an excellent job of operating the national passenger railroad in spite of its budgetary and funding limitations. Any current and future work to improve the Corridor must include a professional, unionized work force of rail employees, he said.

“We think that Amtrak’s ‘Next Gen’ plan for the Northeast Corridor provides a template for a public-private partnership that is worth discussing if the partnership does not reduce the public interest — or the interests of BLET members and Amtrak’s other professional, skilled workers.”

The hearing, titled “Northeast Corridor Future: Options for High-Speed Rail Development and Opportunities for Private Sector Participation,” was chaired by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Mica is a known opponent of Amtrak and supporter of privatizing the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak’s most profitable route. Mica has been criticized for frequently holding hearings to criticize Amtrak, fixating on the national passenger railroad at the expense of other, more pressing transportation issues.

Vice President Tolman also testified regarding the BLET’s firm belief that Amtrak should continue to be the rail service provider for the Northeast Corridor and across the United States.

“Amtrak has provided progressive, quality service despite many, many obstacles and continues to look for ways to increase train speed, reliability and service in spite of these obstacles,” Tolman said.

Tolman testified that rail privatization in other parts of the world has led to systemic safety and reliability problems. He said the United States should learn from those mistakes and not attempt to privatize Amtrak — either in whole or in part.

Other witnesses included: Karen J. Hedlund, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration; Joseph Boardman, President and CEO, Amtrak; Joan McDonald, Chair, Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission and Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation/ Dr. Richard Geddes, Adjunct Scholar, American Enterprise Institute; and Perry Offutt, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley.

It was Rep. Mica’s final hearing as Chairman. Under House rules, he has reached the maximum amount of time allotted for serving as Chairman. He will be replaced by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) in the next Congress.

BLET National President Dennis Pierce thanked Vice President Tolman for delivering the testimony.

“Vice President Tolman spent his operating career on the Northeast Corridor and is uniquely qualified to represent the BLET at the hearing,” President Pierce said. “I thank the members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee for giving the BLET an opportunity to share our thoughts, and thank Brother Tolman for the excellent job he did in representing the organization before Congress.”

A copy of Vice President Tolman’s written testimony is available for download here from the BLET website.

CLEVELAND, November 28 — Pat Lynch of BLET Division 446 (Belen, N.M.) was elected by acclamation to serve as Chairman of the newly-formed New Mexico State Legislative Board at meetings in Albuquerque, N.M., on November 13-14, 2012.

“This is a proud moment for our members in New Mexico and our entire Brotherhood,” BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce said. “I congratulate all those who worked so hard to restore our State Legislative Board in New Mexico.”

A BNSF locomotive engineer, Brother Lynch has held continuous membership in the Brotherhood since he first joined on June 1, 1993.

Additional officers also elected by acclamation were: First Vice Chairman Brian Jenne, Division 811 (Clovis, N.M.); 2nd Vice Chairman Gilbert Tafoya, Division 791 (Belen, N.M.); Secretary-Treasurer Pamela Cipolla, Division 400 (Albuquerque, N.M.); Alternate Secretary-Treasurer Stan Porch, Division 446 (Belen, N.M.); and Chaplain Rick Spears, Division 811 (Clovis, N.M.).

Representing the BLET National Division at the meeting were: National President Pierce; First Vice President E. Lee Pruitt; Vice President and National Legislative Representative John Tolman; and Special Representative Kent Confer.

Several BLET State Legislative Board Chairmen were in attendance, including: Terry Briggs (Texas); Dave Lavery (Florida); and Jim Wilmesher (Colorado). Retired Colorado State Legislative Board Chairmen Mike Weston and George Last were also in attendance.

Barbie Lynch was also in attendance to represent the BLET Auxiliary.

Delegates in attendance at the inaugural meeting included: Brother Jenne, Legislative Representative of Division 811; Sister Cipolla, Division 400; Dwayne Tafoya, Local Chairman Division 791; Rick Switzer, Local Chairman of Division 811; Brother Porch, Division 446; Jeremy McFather, Local Chairman of Division 446; Eric Gabaldon, Local Chairman of Division 400; and Brother Spears, Secretary-Treasurer of Division 811. In addition to electing officers, the delegates voted to adopt bylaws for the Board and handled numerous issues for the good of the order.

The New Mexico State Legislative Board represents approximately 450 active and retired members throughout the state.

CLEVELAND, October 23 — Brother G.N. “Nick” Johnson was reelected by acclamation to continue serving as Chairman of the Arizona State Legislative Board at the Board’s triennial meeting in Tucson, Ariz., on October 23.

Brother Johnson is a Union Pacific locomotive engineer who first joined the Brotherhood on April 1, 1999. He serves Division 28 in Tucson as Secretary-Treasurer and Legislative Representative. Brother Johnson was first elected by acclamation to serve as 1st Vice Chairman of the Board in October of 2009. On August 1, 2011, he was elevated to the Chairman’s office when Vince Verna was appointed to serve the Organization in Washington, D.C., as Director of Regulatory Affairs.

Also elected by acclamation during the meeting were: First Vice Chairman Manny Perez III, Division 647 (Phoenix, Ariz); and Secretary-Treasurer Steve Whitman, Division 28 (Tucson).

Representing the BLET National Division at the meeting were: National President Dennis R. Pierce; First Vice President E. Lee Pruitt; National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert; Vice President and National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman; Special Representative and Coordinator of the Education and Training Department Ken N. Kroeger; Director of Benefits A. Dan Cook III; and Director of Regulatory Affairs Vince Verna. General Chairman Bill Hannah (Union Pacific-Western Lines) also gave a presentation to the delegates. David Bradley, a Candidate for Arizona State Senate, was also on hand to meet the delegates.

“I thank Brother Johnson and all members of the Arizona State Legislative Board for their dedication to the Brotherhood,” President Pierce said. “There is an extremely well educated, active and involved membership in Arizona and Brother Johnson and his team represent the best of that culture. These Board members and our Arizona membership have their work cut out for them in the next two weeks leading up to the election on November 6, but I have every confidence that they are up to the task.”

In addition to the informational presentations from guest speakers, the session consisted of a business meeting and training. The evening was an information program and banquet for the Board and BLET Division 28 members, which was attended by more than 100 members and spouses.

“It was a fantastic day and the delegates did an outstanding job accomplishing the work that we had on the agenda,” Brother Johnson said. “I would like to thank our invited officers, guests and delegates for an extremely successful meeting.”

Brother Johnson helped coordinate events so that the State Legislative Board meeting was held the day before the regular meeting of BLET Division 28 in Tucson. The planning helped to afford maximum opportunity for BLET National Division officers and staff to meet with as many local members and officers as possible.

The BLET’s Arizona State Legislative Board represents more than 600 active members.

Jim Wilmesher was reelected by acclamation to the office of Chairman of the BLET’s Colorado State Legislative Board during the Board’s Fifth Quadrennial meeting in Denver, Colo., September 20-21, 2012.

Brother Wilmesher was first elected Chairman in 2008. He is a BNSF locomotive engineer and member of BLET Division 256 (Denver). He joined the Brotherhood on February 1, 1998.

Also elected by acclamation during the meeting was: 1st Vice Chairman Kevin Utterback, Division 47 (Denver); 2nd Vice Chairman Steve Wareham, Division 488 (Grand Junction); Secretary-Treasurer Paul Pearson, Division 133 (Denver); and Alternate Secretary-Treasurer Michael Bevirt, Division 940 (Denver).

Representing the BLET National Division at the meeting were: National President Dennis R. Pierce; National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert; Vice President & National Legislative Representative John Tolman; National Vice President Mike Twombly; and Special Representative and Coordinator of Education and Training Ken Kroeger.

“All officers of the Colorado State Legislative Board have done and outstanding job representing their members political and legislative interests in the state,” President Pierce said. “I congratulate them for winning election by acclamation and I know they have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks leading up to the national elections on November 6.”

Additional BLET guests in attendance included: Sereena Hogan, National Vice President of the BLET Auxiliary; Cory Runion, Wyoming State Legislative Board Chairman; Dave Geisler, Union Pacific-Eastern District General Chairman; and former Colorado State Legislative Board Chairman George Last, Division 940 (Denver) and Mike Weston, Division 186 (Denver).

For the first time, the Colorado State Legislative Board’s quadrennial meeting was a two-day event. The first day was the Board’s regular business session while the second day was an “open forum” meeting for all members in Colorado, which featured speakers from across the state as well as the BLET National Division officers addressing the membership.

Special guests on the second day included: Mike Cerbo, President of the Colorado AFL-CIO; Sal Pace, Representative from Colorado House District 46; John Manutes, Chief Inspector for the Federal Railroad Administration in Colorado; representatives from job insurance associations; and representatives from various legal counsel firms.

Chairman Wilmesher said the two day open forum style was well-received by the membership.

“It was the first time we had attempted this style of meeting with various speakers and question and answer sessions,” Chairman Wilmesher said. “Many said afterwards that it was well done.”

He also said spouses of BLET members were encouraged to attend the open forum, and that an impressive turnout led to discussions of forming a new branch of the Auxiliary in Colorado. Chairman Wilmesher himself is a dues-paying member of the Auxiliary, and encouraged the Legislative Representatives in attendance to explore joining the Auxiliary as a member-at-large.

Chairman Wilmesher expressed his gratitude to those who helped plan the event and thanked everyone who attended.