BMWED Functions & Structure

Our union, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), is a nationwide community of rail workers, committed to supporting one another, improving our quality of life, and advancing our rights and dignity at our workplaces. We function as a member of the Teamsters Rail Conference within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).

Just like our work between the rails, the work of our union is a round-the-clock business. On any given day our National Division officers may be meeting with lawmakers or regulators on Capital Hill, our System Division and Federation officers may be negotiating changes to work rules, seniority, or travel expenses with an individual railroad, a local Lodge Chairperson may be finalizing a claim or grievance against a violation of their collective bargaining agreement, and our members are busy doing the work that keeps themselves, their sisters and brothers, and our communities safe!

With such a large-scale, nationwide operation, we need a structure to coordinate our activities and ensure we all reinforce one another. That structure comes from our BMWED Bylaws. Our Bylaws lay out the path from each individual member all the way to our BMWED President. They also work with our BMWE-IBT Merger Agreement, joining our strength with our fellow Teamsters in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Teamsters Rail Conference. By understanding our structure you can better understand how each different part of our union interacts. You can learn which levels of our union are engaged in issues that matter at your local level, on your railroad, in your region, or throughout our entire country.

This page lays out how our union is built and how it works for you. Further information can be learned by reading our Bylaws and other governing documents, or through visiting our Library.

OUR BMWED MEMBERS, THE CORE OF OUR STRENGTH!

You may work on a freight railroad or in passenger rail. You may work on the mainline, in a shop, or in an engineering-related craft. As an active member of the BMWED, you are the core of what we do together as a union. All our officers are members just like you. In a labor union like BMWED, there is no "us" versus "them." We are all in this together as brothers and sisters working to make things better for ourselves and those who come after us.

As an active member, your active participation in union business is what builds our collective strength. Attending your local Lodge meetings, taking part in the work of our Legislative or Organizing Departments, and working at every level to preserve our rights — these are all things done by members just like you. Active members can become part of our Negotiating Committees, ensuring a unified voice at the bargaining table. Since our members learn from each other, each active member also plays an important role in the work of our Education Department. There are many different jobs within our union our active members perform every day. These jobs form the foundation for our combined success!

BMWED LOCAL LODGES, WHERE THE ACTION HAPPENS!

Each member of our union is assigned to a local Lodge based on their geographic location and the railroad where they work. Your local Lodge meets periodically to conduct the business you and your fellow Lodge members decide must be done to advance your interests. In attending your local Lodge meetings, you stay informed with the absolute latest news. You also have a real voice in determining the work our union does in your area. Local Lodge business may include investigating potential agreement violations to file claims or grievances. You may also work with your System Division, Federation, or National Division to organize a rally or informational picket to amplify our members' voices. When a member or their family needs a helping hand, our local Lodges are often the best place to determine what can be done.

Your Lodge is governed under our BMWED Bylaws. As an active member you are able to nominate and elect your officers. Lodge officers include a Lodge President, a Vice President, a Secretary-Treasurer, and the Chairperson of your Lodge's Grievance Committee. Other officers in your Lodge include your Audit Committee, your Legislative Representative, and your Grievance Committee members supporting your local Chairperson. You may also have a Recording Secretary or Past President, and your Lodge may have standing Committees to perform other work that benefits you and your fellow Lodge members. Each Lodge runs a bit differently. The best way to learn what your Lodge does is by regularly attending your Lodge meetings!

OUR SYSTEM DIVISIONS & FEDERATIONS, GUARDING YOUR RIGHTS BETWEEN THE RAILS!

When it comes to interpreting, defending, and advancing our rights under our different collective bargaining agreements, the officers of our System Divisions and Federations are your elected leaders to do the job! Each System Division or Federation coordinates the activities of the local Lodges they represent. This level of our union is responsible for handling claims and grievances against specific railroad carriers that violate our members' rights. Many of the day-to-day coordinating, administrative, or decision-making tasks of our union are performed by our General Chairpersons, supported by their other officers and staff.

System Divisions and Federations work within our overall union. They also exercise autonomy within their respective territory and their Lodges. Your Federation may conduct training seminars, conduct internal organizing work, develop online or social media forums for members like you, and bridge the gap between your local Lodge and our national union. If there is a particular issue, activity, benefit, or concern you are looking for, reach out to your System Division or Federation officers!

Joint Protective Boards (JPBs)

Just like our National Division, each System Division or Federation has its own governing Bylaws. These Bylaws are reviewed, adopted, and amended by the Joint Protective Board (JPB) of your System Division or Federation at periodic Conventions. Your JPB is made up of delegates elected by each Lodge within your System Division or Federation. Your Bylaws will tell you more about how these Delegates are elected, their responsibilities and authority, and who can be eligible to serve as a Delegate for your Lodge.

Executive Boards

While your JPB is the governing body of your System Division or Federation and meets regularly to consider matters that affect you, when the JPB is not in session your Executive Board is empowered to consider issues and determine policy. Your Executive Board is an elected body of members, just like you, who meet and discuss major business between sessions of the full JPB. Your System Division or Federation Bylaws will have more details on the makeup of your Executive Board, their term lengths, and other information.

General Chairpersons

Representing your entire System Division or Federation is your General Chairperson, a member elected to a term of service and exercising authority as laid out in your Bylaws. Your General Chairperson is the authority on interpreting questions or issues with your collective bargaining agreement, and supervises the adjustment of claims and grievances to protect your agreement rights. Your General Chairperson is also empowered to negotiate agreements with your railroad on your behalf, coordinating their work with a bargaining committee and our National Division. Whatever happens or fails to happen within your System Division or Federation is the responsibility of your General Chairperson.

System Division or Federation Officers

Supporting the work of your General Chairperson are your System officers. Different System Divisions or Federations use different titles for these officers. You may have a Vice Chairman, an Assistant General Chairwoman, a 1st Vice Chairperson, or something similar. No matter what their title is, these full-time union representatives are often one of the first union officials you meet when you begin your work on the railroad. These officers are key in developing Lodge officers, putting together effective claim and appeal arguments for our claims or grievances, representing members in disciplinary hearings, and an amazing variety of other tasks. Your "Vice" is often the first person you will call if you find yourself in trouble or needing assistance, and they are a brother of sister dedicated to supporting union members in your territory or region.

OUR NATIONAL DIVISION — YOUR UNION!

Our National officers offer guidance and support to our General Chairpersons, ensuring that all our members receive a consistent standard of protection and support under our various agreements. While your agreement, any claims on your behalf, or other business affecting you are handled and interpreted at your System Division or Federation, this work is coordinated and governed by our National Division. These officers also supervise and coordinate the work of several National Division Departments. These Departments perform the work necessary for our union to meet its legal obligations or accomplish the goals laid out by our members.

The structure and governance of our National Division is provided within our BMWED Bylaws. Our Bylaws tell us what officers we need to elect and when, the length of their terms, their duties and responsibilities, and how we can convene to amend or change our Bylaws and our union's structure. The officers of your National Division are members, just like you, elected to their office by delegates from each Lodge of our union who meet every 4 years in a National Convention. At this National Convention, our delegates elect our leaders, review our BMWED Bylaws are reviewed, make amendments, adopt or reaffirm our Bylaws, and set our priorities as a union for the next 4 years.

BMWED Regional Associations

To better coordinate the work of our various System Divisions and Federations, our union is organized into Regional Associations. These Regional Associations include the officers of the System Divisions or Federations within each region. Regional Associations meet to discuss issues of importance to all our members, conduct training and development for our representatives, and strengthen the connections within our broader union. We have four regions within the BMWED: South, West, Northeast, and Northwest.

BMWED Executive Board

Just like your System Division or Federation, when our National Convention and our Delegates are out of session the business matters of our union are determined by a board of elected officers: one from each Region in the BMWED and two "At Large." Our Executive Board oversees many of the financial and budgetary decisions made at our National level, giving oversight on how our officers and Departments execute policy on behalf of our members. Details on the composition of our Executive Board, who can hold these offices, how they are elected, and other information can be found in our BMWED Bylaws.

BMWE Vice Presidents

Our National Division Vice Presidents support the work of our President and support the work of the General Chairpersons in the regions within which each Vice President is aligned. Like our Executive Board, our Vice Presidents are elected from each Region of our union, with an additional Vice President elected "At Large."

Our Vice Presidents also exercise some coordinating responsibility over different functions or Departments of our National Division. These responsibilities may include coordinating our arbitration work for claims and grievances, external and internal organizing work, liaison duties with our various law firms within our BMWED Designated Legal Counsel, serving on Arbitration Boards, or other responsibilities.

BMWED Secretary-Treasurer

Within our union, our Secretary-Treasurer is an elected officer with a considerable amount of responsibility. Our Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for the management of our union's finances and leads a Department of professional staff dedicated to helping our members, our Lodges, and our Systems to understand and meet their legal and fiscal obligations.

The Secretary-Treasurer is also responsible for maintaining accurate records of our membership, including their status and contact information. The Secretary-Treasurer and their staff provide accurate reports concerning our members, our accounts, and our financial position to our members and officers, also completing all necessary regulatory and government reporting for our union and assisting our Lodges in such reporting.

The information technology team at our National Division works under the supervision of our Secretary-Treasurer. These technical experts maintain the information databases and communications infrastructure necessary for our union to successfully represent our members.

Since some members of the Secretary-Treasurer's Department are highly-skilled specialists at their administrative and financial work, where we are unable to find BMWED members to fill those positions our S/T staff are represented by Local 42 of the OPEIU (Office and Professional Employees International Union).

BMWED President

Our President, elected by the Delegates each of our Lodges send to our National Convention every 4 years, leads our union. Our President exercises their responsibilities under our BMWED Bylaws, setting policies and making decisions that steer the course of our entire union. Our President coordinates and supervises the work of our different System Divisions and Federations, ensuring that our bargaining agreements and other representational work aligns with our overall union mission and standards. To facilitate the nationwide work our union performs, our Bylaws give our President authority over several Departments.

Legislative Department

Our National Division Legislative Department is located in Washington, DC. This Department is headed by our Director of Government Affairs. The Legislative Department monitors and reports all governmental and Congressional activities that can affect our union or our industry. Our Director of Government Affairs also lobbies on our behalf, advocating for beneficial legislation or to defeat potential laws or policies which could hurt our quality of life or our rights at work. Our Director of Government Affairs also coordinates the work of our various State Legislative Directors and State Legislative Boards, BMWED members who perform similar work at the state level and monitor the activities of the different legislatures in our state capitols.

At the local Lodge level, our Lodge Legislative Representatives inform BMWED members on legislative campaigns and issues, encourage member involvement, and elect their State Legislative Directors every 4 years at their State Conventions.

The BMWED Legislative Department works closely with the IBT's Director of Government Affairs and supervises the work of our DRIVE political action fund, a fully voluntary fund our union uses to advocate for our interests and support candidates who will support working men and women. No dues money is used for political campaign purposes.

Department of Strategic Coordination

and Research

This Department plays a vital role in gathering data our union uses to develop bargaining strategy. Economic data, demographic information, railroad earnings reports, industry forecasts, historical bargaining precedents, and other valuable information is gathered and processed by this Department, led by our Director of Strategic Coordination and Research. The Director may also take part in conferences or liaison work with other organizations or labor unions when instructed by the President. This Department assists with the negotiation, administration, and application of the various collective bargaining agreements our members work within at both the National Division and System Division/Federation levels. This Department may also provide assistance to our National Division officers on special projects or tasks of importance to our union.

Safety Department

The BMWED Safety Department works closely with our Director of Government Affairs in advocating for our members' safety. Our Director of Safety sits on or works with many committees and regulatory agencies focused on worker and railroad safety. Our Director of Safety is an active and voting member of the Federal Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) and the Surface Transportation Safety Advisory Committee (STSAC). Our Director also advises agencies like the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Agency, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The BMWED Director of Safety monitors and filed comments on any notices of proposed rule making, waiver applications, or regulatory deviations proposed by railroads or regulatory agencies that govern railroad and rail safety work. With an overall focus on improving the safety and health-related working conditions of our member at their workplaces, our Director of Safety also supports the exercise of critical whistleblower rights under the Federal Railway Safety Act (FRSA) and §20109 that protect certain worker's activities in safety-related work. Working with the BMWED Education Department, the IBT Training and Development Department, and other stakeholders, the Safety Department ensures member access to railroad hazardous material response training.

The Safety Department also maintains an active accident and incident investigation team ready to bring BMWED's professional experience and craft knowledge to any FRA or NTSB investigation.

Organizing Department

The Organizing Department educates interested and potential new bargaining unit workers about the advantages of collective action, including increased benefits and quality of life. Providing factual and historical data detailing why BMWED is the most progressive, member-focused rail labor union in the country, our Organizing Department empowers potential new members to make BMWED their choice for representation in organizing their workplace.

The Organizing Department develops collaborative programs and campaigns that allow new members to organize new bargaining units at their workplaces, building our union strength with new members. This Department also supports the work of strengthening our union through the education, engagement, and empowerment of our current members, working with our System Divisions and Federations on internal organizing campaigns.

 Communications Department

The BMWED Communications Department is involved in informing our members and performing media outreach and coordination for all aspects of our union, taking part in nearly every major project or campaign our union conducts! The Communications Department is responsible for BMWED's online and social media presence, the production of the BMWED Journal, and for developing and sustaining relationships with news reporters and the labor desks of our country's major media agencies. Photographic support, videos, and other technical support for our National Division, System Divisions, and Federations are handled within this Department, and our Director of Communications also supports the drafting and release of press releases and media advisories to bring attention to union issues or campaigns.

Arbitration Department

Located in Mokena, Illinois, near the National Railroad Adjustment Board's Chicago offices, our Arbitration Department supports the work of our System Divisions and Federations as they progress claims and grievances for arbitration before the NRAB or other similar law boards and adjustment boards. Our Arbitration Department is staffed by full-time BMWED members and administrative experts who devote their time to researching case histories and precedent, reviewing claim correspondence, evaluating cases, and making recommendations to the General Chairpersons on how to progress claims to arbitration. Each claim submitted to our Arbitration Department is reviewed on its merits and on-property records, evaluating this claim based on past Award precedent and other analytical factors. BMWED members of the Arbitration Department also represent member claims and grievances as part of the boards convened for arbitrating such cases, whether through the NRAB, a Public Law Board, or Special Board of Adjustment.

While the ultimate success of our claims and grievances remains with the System Divisions and Federations, our Arbitration Department's work has allowed BMWED to lead the way for successful arbitration among rail labor!

Education Department

The BMWED Education Department develops and coordinates the use of learning tools and facilitation skills to empower bold, skilled, and creative union members. This Department supports all BMWED's members, organizations, and families as they learn, engage, support one another, and ACT.

The Education Department works within the intent of the union as defined by our members; developed through our elected leaders, expressed in our Bylaws, and audaciously executed by all within our union.