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President Pierce leads Get Out The Vote rally with Division 28 in Tucson
CLEVELAND, October 24 — Last week, BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce joined members of the BLET Advisory Board in Tucson, Ariz., for meetings and a rally to encourage members to get out the vote on November 6.
On October 17, President Pierce, First Vice President E. Lee Pruitt, National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert, and Vice President & National Legislative Representative John Tolman attended the triennial meeting of the Arizona State Legislative Board in Tucson, Ariz. The officers updated the State Board on the union’s activities, stressed the importance of the November 6 national election, and discussed the National Division’s mobilization strategy to encourage members to get out the vote.
President Pierce offered personal thanks to Arizona State Legislative Board Chairman Nick Johnson for setting up the State Board’s meeting to coincide with Division 28’s regular meeting, so that the National Division’s officers and staff could meet with as many members and officers as possible.
“Brother Johnson brings energy and enthusiasm to the Arizona State Board, the Board and our members in Arizona are in good hands with Nick as their State Chairman,” Pierce said.
On October 18, the officers also attended the regular monthly meeting of Division 28 in Tucson. The Division members in attendance voted to suspend the rules, and all four officers brought the same message to the membership, stressing the importance of educating themselves on the issues and voting in the upcoming election.
Another special guest at the Division 28 meeting was U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, who is running for reelection to an open seat because of redistricting in Arizona. He spoke to the membership and also posed for a group photo with the approximately 80 BLET members and spouses who were in attendance. Nearly all members and spouses were wearing the BLET’s red Proud to be American, Proud to be American t-shirts.
Rep. Barber has voted with Teamsters 100 percent of the time during his six months in Congress. He voted to end the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, and for middle-class tax relief. Barber won a special election for his seat in Congress following the resignation of Gabrielle Giffords, who was nearly killed after a crazed gunman shot her at point blank range on January 8, 2011. Six people were killed and 13 others injured in the attack, including Barber, Giffords’ former aide.
After the photo, the BLET Division meeting resumed and members of the BLET Auxiliary began their own meeting. Vince Verna, BLET’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, former Arizona State Legislative Board Chairman and former Local Chairman of Division 28 updated the membership on the union’s regulatory efforts in Washington, DC. Dan Cook, the BLET National Division’s Director of Benefits, was on hand to give a presentation to the Auxiliary members regarding health care benefits. Ken Kroeger, Special Representative and Coordinator of the BLET Education & Training Department, also attended all meetings and helped to arrange the event. Brother Kroeger is a Division 28 member. General Chairman Bill Hannah (Union Pacific-Western Lines) was also in attendance for all events.
“It was very satisfying to see the positive turnout on such an important topic as the November election,” President Pierce said. “The active and involved membership in Tucson — both Division 28 and the Guadalupe Chapter of the Auxiliary — is an asset to the Brotherhood and I am proud of our Brothers and Sisters for their dedication to our Brotherhood.”
President Pierce said the National Division is continuing its mobilization campaign to get out the vote, which includes a mass mailing of post cards from the BLET National Mobilization Team and a mobilization effort that will involve contacting each member of the Brotherhood by phone and email.
On behalf of the National Division, President Pierce thanked the BLET Division 28 President Eric Bergman, Division 28 Local Chairman Ron Sprague, the Guadalupe Chapter of the Auxiliary, Arizona State Chairman Nick Johnson and Special Representative Ken Kroeger for their joint efforts to mobilize Arizona BLET members and their families at this most important time.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
bentley@ble.org
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