BMWED Restructure to Provide Single Systems for Members on Each Class 1 Railroad Published: Jun 22 2021 2:09PM
June 22, 2021
BMWED Restructure to Provide Single Systems for Members on Each Class 1 Railroad
Same Employer, Same System, Same Dues, Same Representation Will Streamline and Strengthen Our Union
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The current structure of our Union weakens the voice and strength of the rank and file membership. The current composition of our Union is a century old and no longer comports to the current rail industry, and it does not deliver the best and most efficient representation our membership deserves. Over the last thirty years, our employers have merged and reorganized operations and labor relations. Our Union has not met the challenge with new organization of our own. As a result, there are often many Federations with different dues structures and bylaws representing members on a single employer and with the same agreement. This structure hurts our ability to deliver effective representation to the membership which is the whole reason for our existence.
The job of the System Federations under our Bylaws is to enforce the collective bargaining agreements, negotiate agreements, and generally work to improve the working conditions of the members. BMWED members on one employer should pay for one General Chairperson and not several. BMWED members on one employer should speak with one voice to management and not several. Currently we have situations where a BMWED General Chairperson on one employer with a few dozen members has as much to say as the BMWED General Chairperson who has two thousand members. Management uses this structural problem in our Union to pit us against each other for Management’s benefit at the expense of the membership. The multiple General Chairpersons operating in this system may think it should continue but I do not believe that this would be in the best interest of the membership. Correcting this problem will improve the representation of the membership by our Union.
Therefore, I am going to exercise my authority under Article XIX, Section 1 of the Bylaws of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and call for a founding Convention of all of the Local Lodges on the following railroads: Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, CSXT, BNSF, UP, CP and CN. These Local Lodges will form a new single system to represent BMWED members on each of these railroads. At these founding Conventions the delegates from the Local Lodges on each railroad will elect new officers and adopt new bylaws to organize all BMWED workers on one employer under a single banner. This will result in a more efficient use of dues and more strength when dealing with management. Dues money currently in the accounts of the current systems to which the members currently belong will be transferred to the accounts of the new system on a per capita basis.
Smaller properties like Conrail Metra, Keolis, NICTD, KCS, York Rail to name a few, and which cannot support their own system based upon membership levels, will be assigned to the new larger systems in accordance with National Division Bylaws. However, we will ensure that these properties are not divided up into different systems and will be assigned in a way that will maximize their unity in dealing with railroad management.
We will hold these founding Conventions during the months of September and October of this year. The new Federations will not be effective until January 1, 2022. This will provide time for an orderly transfer of funds and ensure any work in progress is continued. It will also ensure that the changes do not interfere with the current election of International Teamster officers.
Each Local Lodge is entitled to send a delegate to the founding Convention for their respective employer. The costs of sending a delegate to their founding Convention must be borne by the specific Local Lodge sending such delegate. To be elected delegate you will need to have 24 months’ continuous good standing and to be a member of the Local Lodge. All members in good standing of the Local Lodge will receive 15 days’ notice of the time and place for this delegate election. The delegate election must be by secret ballot. Local Lodge Secretary Treasurers will be sent information about how to conduct the election and will be sent credential forms to provide to the delegate to present to the founding Convention. This is obviously a very important meeting which will formally establish the officers and bylaws for the new System Division or Federation; however, if a delegate is not elected by a Local Lodge, that Local Lodge will not be represented when the new System Division or Federation is formed, but will be governed by the new System Division or Federation.
Please do not consider this as a criticism of the current System Federation officers representing BMWED workers. It has been my experience that all of them are dedicated to their work and work very hard to serve the membership. Our current structure impedes any elected officer in performing his or her job in the most effective way possible for the membership. I would expect that many of the current officers will be running for office in the new System Division or Federation on these merits. However, the current design of the Systems is inefficient, unwieldy, confusing to the rank and file and does not provide the most effective representation possible. The purpose of establishing this new single System Division or Federation for each large employer is to correct a flaw in our structure that has festered for a long time and is not the fault of any single individual. None of us are blameless in creating and sustaining this system; nevertheless, it is far past time to fix the problem and move our Union forward for the benefit of the rank and file membership.
Fraternally yours,
Freddie N. Simpson
President
National Division Officer Letter of Support for Same Employer, Same System, Same Dues