BMWED

National Division Convention Day Two News and Election Results

Brother Tony Cardwell elected BMWED President

Membership First slate victorious, including two historical elections

The delegates of the BMWED-IBT Fifth Regular National Convention today elected Unified System Division General Chairman Tony D. Cardwell the next president of our Brotherhood.

Brother Cardwell defeated Vice President of the Northwest Region, Bruce Glover, for our Union’s top office.

The members of President-Elect Cardwell’s “Membership First slate” secured victory in 12 of the 13 races on the ballot Tuesday. Brother Dale Bogart, First Vice Chairman on the American Rail System, was victorious in his bid for National Division Secretary-Treasurer, defeating Brother John Mozinski, General Chairman of the Burlington Northern System Federation.

Notably, two firsts were achieved in today’s National Division election. For the first time in our Brotherhood’s history, a woman and an African-American man were elected to Vice Presidential posts. Sister Staci Moody-Gilbert, General Chairwoman of the Burlington System Division, was elected Vice President of the Northwest Region and Brother Reese Saulter, Allied Federation Vice Chairman, was elected Vice President of the South Region, both by acclamation.

The three other Vice Presidents elected Tuesday were Seán Gerie (re-elected as VP from the Northeast Region), Unified System Division First Vice Chairman/Secretary-Treasurer Galen Owen (VP, West Region) and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Frisco System Federation General Chairman Jeffery L. Fry (VP, At-Large).

As for the newly elected National Division Executive Board, the winners of those races are as follows:

Thomas Blackwell, (West)
Joe Letizia, (Northwest)
George Loveland, (At-Large)
Patrick Quigley, (South)
Brian Rumler, (At-Large)
Anthony Sessa, (Northeast, and lone officer elected outside of the slate)

It was a long day of elections, as most positions were contested, resulting in the delegates going to the voting booths. The delegation did consider a handful of Bylaw proposals, but several more remain for tomorrow, as well as other official union business due to the length of elections today.

One important development happened around the noontime hour when the BMWED received word that the National Mediation Board proffered arbitration, setting the stage for a likely Presidential Emergency Board for National Bargaining with the Class 1 freight railroads. Click here for more information on that important development.

Stayed tuned to bmwe.org or the Brotherhood’s official Facebook page for more updates from Day 3 of Convention tomorrow.