BLET announces new advisory board

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen this week announced a new advisory board.

The board is composed of the 14 highest-ranking elected officers in the union and serves as its chief policy-making body, BLET officials said in a press release.

The board members are:

• Edward Hall, national president;
• Mark Wallace, first vice president and alternate president;
• David Estes, national secretary-treasurer;
• Vince Verna, VP and national legislative representative;
• Rick Gibbons, national VP;
• James Louis, national VP;
• Alan Holdcraft, national VP;
• William Lyons, national VP;
• Peter Semenek, national VP;
• Randy Fannon, national VP;
• Garrison Best, national VP;
• Richard Crow, national division trustee;
• Patrick Driscoll, national division trustee; and
• Kyle Bagby, national division trustee.

"We’re excited about what we can do together to build a better union," said Hall. "We have new blood, a lot of energy and a deep bench."

Last month, Hall was elected the union’s national president following a contentious campaign against incumbent Dennis Pierce. Hall is a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific Railroad in Arizona and has been a BLET member since 1999.

The change in leadership represents a "new era" for the union, BLET officials said. Hall plans to put listening to members first as part of his leadership strategy.

"I’m planning to spend much of this year traveling the country to rail yards and union halls to meet with members and hear their thoughts on how this union can better serve them and what we can do to make their jobs better," Hall said.