Grand Lodge Officers

Officers of the Grand Lodge are elected every four years during the Grand Lodge Convention which is comprised of delegates elected by the subordinate lodges.

The Grand Lodge Convention has absolute and final jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to the BMWE. Between conventions, however, all administrative, executive and judicial authority is vested in the Grand Lodge Officers.

There are 15 Grand Lodge Officers: president, secretary-treasurer, seven vice presidents and six executive board members.

Vice Presidents

Of the seven vice presidents, two are elected from Canada, and one from each of the following regions: Northeastern, Northwestern, Southeastern, Southwestern, Western. The office of each vice president must be located in the region from which he is elected.

The duties of each vice president are to assist the president in the discharge of his duties under his general direction and to do such work as decided upon by the Grand Lodge Officers at their annual meetings.

Vice presidents should also visit and instruct subordinate lodges and assist general chairmen in their committees and boards. Vice presidents also have authority to examine and audit the records and books of any subordinate lodge.

Executive Board

There are six executive board members, one elected from Canada and each of the five regions previously named. Immediately after the adjournment of the Grand Lodge Convention, the Executive Board meets for the purpose of electing a chairman, vice chairman and secretary. A quorum of the executive board is four members.

The three officers of the Executive Board are also ex-officio Trustees of the BMWE. Legal title to all property (real, personal and otherwise) of the BMWE and all interests of the BMWE is vested in the Trustees.

The executive board, along with the other Grand Lodge Officers jointly determine the general policies to be adopted and enforced during the interim between conventions including the adoption of such resolutions necessary to effectuate provisions of the Constitution and By-laws, resolutions or decisions of the Grand Lodge Convention or the requirement of any applicable law.

International and Regional Associations

For the purpose of protecting and promoting the collective bargaining and legislative interests of maintenance of way employees, the BMWE created international and regional associations. Association meetings are held once a year with special meetings being called as needed.

The International Association is composed of all Grand Lodge Officers and Appointees and system officers (general chairmen, vice chairmen, assistant chairmen, secretary-treasurers or others of comparable title).

Regional Associations are composed of the Grand Lodge President, Grand Lodge Secretary-Treasurer, Grand Lodge Vice President assigned to the individual region and the system officers from system divisions and federations within each individual region.

The Central Committee for Canada is the committee authorized to negotiate rates of pay and working conditions for maintenance of way employees represented by system federations in Canada.