Representatives from the Unified System Division;  Atchison, Topeka, Santa Fe, Frisco System Federation; Allied Federation; and Burlington System Division, all part of the Western Region Association, met to conduct an educational conference this week. Members of the BMWED Executive Board, Arbitration Department, Safety Department, Strategic Coordination and Research, IBT Communications Department and others made presentations to the attendees.

Fred Simpson, National President of the BMWED and Teamsters Vice President, opened the meeting by giving a report on the state of the Brotherhood. “I see a lot of promise and hope here in our officers and members of the Western Region.  The transition we are making in our leadership is being done with dignity and unity which will end up serving our members well.  We have begun preparation for national bargaining by appointing general chairman and other officers to the health care and local rules committees.  More information about contract bargaining will be available soon in our Journal and on our website.”

Following Simpson’s report, Steve Powers, director of the BMWED’s Arbitration Department, provided attendees with an overview of the history of subcontracting over the years and the union’s efforts to fight for improved wages and benefits for members. Powers will soon be retiring after a 32-year career with the BMWED, a decision he said was very difficult to make.  All of the attendees at the meeting said that they appreciated the time, effort and dedication Powers had put forward to improve the lives and livelihood of the membership over the years.

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