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28 points explained in meetings

In the days after the Statement of Principles was approved by the BLE Advisory Board, President Clarence Monin held several meetings to introduce the document to the union's top officers.

On December 2, members of the National Mobilization team and the Special Representatives gathered in Cleveland and were briefed on the document.

During the December 7 National Legislative Board meeting, BLE President Clarence Monin, center, uses a pie chart to compare BLE and UTU membership numbers (chart reproduced below). Pictured, from left, is BLE General Secretary-Treasurer Russ Bennett; First Vice-President Ed Dubroski; President Monin; Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Rep. Leroy Jones; and Texas State Legislative Board Chairman Raymond Holmes.

On December 7, members of the National Legislative Board gathered in Cleveland for their introduction to the Statement of Principles. Finally, on December 14, U.S. and Canadian General Chairmen were briefed on the document.

"Communication is critical at this juncture, and we will provide our members with as much information as possible," Monin explained. "We want to make sure everyone gets the story straight so they aren't confused by a bunch of rumors and half-truths."

President Monin held a conference call with 150 members from across the U.S. and Canada on December 2. Excerpts from this call and actual membership questions can be found in the article above.

In attendance from the National Mobilization Team was Kent Confer, Gene Imler, Jim Dayton and Curtis Driggers.

Special Reps in attendance were Darrell Arnold, Ron Dean, Sonny Hamm, Tommy Miller, John Tolman and Bob Toole.

Members of the National Legislative Board who attended the December 7 meeting were Leroy Jones, Raymond Holmes, Doug Horstman, Jim Keele, Bill O'Brien and Tommy Mayne.

Membership Breakdown

Even though UTU membership as a whole is much larger than BLE membership, one of the largest single groups in the new organization will be BLE locomotive engineers.

Advisory Board November Activity

By action of the delegates at the Fifth Quinquennial Convention, summaries of BLE Advisory Board members' activities are published monthly:
International President Clarence V. MoninInternational Office: General supervision of BLE activities, meetings; BLE advisory board mtg.; Rail Labor Division, TTD, AFL-CIO, Washington; Mexico trilateral agreement; Rail Safety Advisory Committee mtgs.; BLE-UTU talks; AFL-CIO executive council mtgs.; EUMA.
First Vice-President & Alternate President Edward DubroskiInternational Office. Assisted president supervising BLE activities; U.S. Nat'l Legislative Board; CSX mtg., Fla.; BLE/UTU negotiations, Washington; TTD, Washington; Division mtg(s)., Tenn; Long Island Rail Road function; Advisory Board mtg.
General Secretary-Treasurer Russell W. BennettInternational Office: Supervision of BLE and BLE Building Assn.; Financial depts.; Records Dept.; BLE Job Bank; BLE/UTU Finance & membership committee mtg.; Joint BLE/UTU mtgs. w/ Oversight, Structure, Constituion & Bylaws committees; EUMA; SWCM.
Vice-President Paul T. SorrowInternational Office, Assisted president and first vice-president in performing duties in connection with Chief of Staff position; CSX/NS/ Conrail transaction; SBA 1063; PLB 5392; Visited BLE Divisions 273, 607, 831, 385, 551, 548, 537, 106, 447, 78, 435 and 365; GTW Section 6 meetings; Advisory Board mtg.; Assisted CSX, NS and GTW GCofAs.
Vice-President Joseph A. Cassidy Jr. Amtrak mtgs.; Special Board of Adjustment 928; SBA 933; SEPTA mtgs.; Port Authority Tans Hudson mtgs.; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Rwy. mtgs.; Division 163 mtg.; PLB 6111; Missabe Div. mtg.; Iron Range Div. mtg.; BLE Advisory Board mtg.
Vice-President & U.S. Nat'l Legislative Representative Leroy D. JonesWashington D.C. Office; High Speed Ground Transportation Assoc. Government relations cmte. mtg.; Full RSAC mtg.; Amtrak reception; AFL-CIO admin mtg.; TTD legislative mtgs.; TTD/Rail Div. leg. mtgs.; AFL-CIO political directors mtgs.; Amtrak Reform Council mtgs.; H. Con. Res. 52 hearing; Fast track rally, U.S. Capitol; Mtgs. & receptions w/ various members of House & Senate.
Vice-President James L. McCoy KCS-BLE mediation on local issues; General office duties & correspondence; UP-SP merger mtgs, San Antonio hub; PLB 5918 (SPCSL); IC GCofA office; SACP mtgs.; BLE advisory board mtg.; Finalizing PLB awards; KCS-BLE GCofA mtg.
Vice-President William C. WalpertInternational Office; BLE Education & Training Dept.; Internal Organizing, Mobilizing & Strategic Planning Dept.; Publications Committee; Public Relations Dept.; BLE Safety Task Force; BLE Special Reps.; Nat'l. Mobilization Team mtg.; Mobilization conference call; Advisory Board mtg.; Special Rep mtg.; Local Chairman Workshop at Meany Center.
Vice-President Edward W. Rodzwicz Mtg. w/ Pete Carpenter, CSX President; Assignment under direction of President; Finance Docket 33388; Divison 57 assignment; BLE advisory board mtg.; Vacation.
Vice-President Don M. Hahs General office duties; ID special assignment; UP/SP East San Antonio hub negotiations; Div. 366 mtg.; Kansas City Hub issues; UP/SP east merger; BNSF Kansas City seniority issue; Statement of Principles mtg., Cleveland; SP East lump sum issue.
Vice-President Richard K. RadekInternational Office; BLE Decertification Helpline services; Director of Arbitration Dept; National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB) mtg., award adoption, executive session; ; Section 3 committee & subcommittee; Local chairman's workshop; PLB 5193 arbitrator, grievance mediation; IHB & GTW arbitration assistance; Advisory Board mtg.; FRA Part 240.409 proceedings EQAL 96-05, 98-09, 97-03, 97-54.
Vice-President & Canadian Director Gilles HalléOttawa Office; RCTC contract negotiations; Mtgs. re: Training School, Saskatoon; Mtg. w/ K. Heller, CN, G. Scarrow, UTU & CCROU; Advisory Board mtg.; Mtg. w/ shortline railways; Follow-up mtg. w/ CN Rail, re: negotiations; Mtg. w/ Paul Tellier, CN Rail.
Vice-President & Canadian National Legislative Representative T. George HuckerOttawa Office; Canadian National Legislative Board; EUMA; BNR fatigue planning mtg.; BLE-UTU committee mtgs.; Statutory holiday; VIA regulatory affairs mtg.; Mtg. w/ RailTex; Mtg. w/ Algoma Central Wisconsin Rwy.; Kawartha Lakes Rwy. Advisory Board mtg.; GCofA, CN-C; CPRail mtg.; Go Transit fatigue mtg.

BLE Publications Committee:

Clarence V. Monin, International President
Edward Dubroski, First Vice-President & Alternate President
Russell W. Bennett, General Secretary-Treasurer
Leroy D. Jones, Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Representative
William C. Walpert, Vice-President & Editor

John Bentley Jr., Associate Editor

THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER NEWSLETTER

is published monthly by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,

1370 Ontario Street, Mezzanine,

Cleveland, OH 44113-1702.

the Locomotive Engineer newsletter

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

Since 1863, a Tradition of Forward Thinking

END OF DECEMBER 1998 NEWSLETTER

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