Teamsters Rail Conference backs Walt Barrows re-nomination to RRB Published: May 25 2017 1:48PM
Rail Conference backs Walt Barrows re-nomination to RRB
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 25 — The Teamsters Rail Conference is urging the White House to re-nominate Walter A. Barrows to a third term as Labor Member of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.
“Mr. Barrows has served railroad workers and the general public with distinction since being sworn into office on October 7, 2011,” Teamsters Rail Conference President Dennis R. Pierce wrote in a recent letter to President Donald J. Trump. “His prior qualifications — including service as the Chief Financial Officer of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen for more than a decade and multiple terms as one of Rail Labor’s Trustees on the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust — have come to the forefront during his tenure on the Board, and Mr. Barrows has proven to be an excellent steward of the interests of active and retired workers alike. We, therefore, believe he has earned another term of office.”
Brother Barrows began his railroad career in 1974 with the Norfolk & Western Railroad and held numerous positions in the railroad’s signal department. Within his union, in Locals 199 and 228, he served as Local Chairman, Local President, and Recording-Financial Secretary. Brother Barrows also served the BRS as the General Chairman and General Secretary-Treasurer for the Norfolk Southern General Committee. Prior to being elected Secretary-Treasurer, he served as a Trustee on BRS’ Grand Board of Trustees.
From 1999-2009, Brother Barrows has served as a labor member on the joint health care subcommittee to oversee the Railroad Employees’ National Health and Welfare Plan. In 2004, 2007, and 2010 he was elected as a labor trustee to oversee the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust Fund.
An independent agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government, the RRB is administered by three members appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. By law, the Labor Member is appointed upon recommendation of railroad labor organizations, the Management Member upon recommendation of railroad employers, and the third member, the Chairman, is, in effect, independent of employees and employers and represents the public interest. The terms of office are five years and are arranged so as to expire in different calendar years
The Teamsters Rail Conference represents more than 70,000 rail workers employed as locomotive engineers, trainmen and maintenance of way workers across the United States as members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED). International Brotherhood of Teamsters Vice President John Murphy serves as Director of the Rail Conference. BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce serves as Rail Conference President. Teamsters Vice President at Large Freddie N. Simpson is National President of the BMWED.
