2007’s Last FSTs’ Seminar Held in Los Angeles
Click here for more about the November training session.
IAM 2007 Course for Communicators
September 30-October 5, 2007—Close to half the class consisted of TCU representatives at the IAM’s Communicator Course this year. It was held at the William W. Winpisinger Center in southern Maryland. Training was for those who are charged with communicating with the membership but who don’t have a high level of communications experience. Classes included the basics of design and digital photography, desktop publishing, introduction to the Machinists’ microsites program to build websites, writing and message development, and more. The next presentation of this course will take place next year at the beginning of March.
Third FSTs Seminar for 2007 Held in Rockville, Maryland
Click here to read more about this October 2007 seminar.
Training for Financial Officers Held in Omaha, Nebraska
September 25-26, 2007—Twenty-four participants, most of them recently-elected financial secretary-treasurers, recently attended the second FSTs’ Seminar of the year in Omaha, Nebraska. More »
Leadership Training: FSTs’ Seminar Teaches Officers to Handle Financial Duties
TCU held the first of four Financial Secretary-Treasurers’ Seminars scheduled for 2007 on July 10-11 near union headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. Attending the two day training session were 29 officers, most of them newly elected FSTs. More »
Leadership Development Program Held with Machinists Rail Leaders at Winpisinger Education and Technology Center
April 15-20, 2007 — TCU combined forces with the IAM again this year to bring local chairpersons to the Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in southern Maryland for a week of intensive leadership training. The groups met together for some sessions and at other times in their own union classes during the week of April 15-20. For TCU, 21 local officers had the opportunity to learn about the Railway Labor Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, duty of fair representation, proof and evidence in arbitration, in preparation for concentrated work in grievance writing. They also studied legislative issues, organizing campaigns, and human rights initiatives. Among speakers were the unions’ respective top officers, International Presidents Bob Scardelletti and Tom Buffenbarger and International Secretary-Treasurers Danny Biggs and Warren Mart. Participants from TCU seen in the photo are:1st row (front—from left) –David DeGallo II, LC 90; Mike McDermott, LC 1444; Danny Garner, LC 6088; William Greenwalt, LC 6861; Allan Carmack, LC 376; Johnathan Buie, LC 115; 2nd row–Derrick Reed, LC 782; Michael Schicker, LC 805; William Porter, Jr., DC 6846; Tim Sandberg, LC 593; Jane Glassing, DC 584; Barry Ivers, LC 6178; Ola Jones, LC 1295; Daniel Possin, Pres. Local 6013, Craig Wilson, LC 6195; Gregory Weaver, DC 5512; Back row–Allen Dimon, LC 6327; Joel Parker, IVP; Donna Lock, DC 1374; Alex Novakovic, GVP/BRC; Kevin Graham, LC 2513; Bill Rohr, DC 6799; Arthur Parra, LC 6762; and Darwin Kubasiewicz, Program Coordinator.
System Division 86 Officers Build Brief Writing Skills 
February 26-March 2, 2007—Two leaders from System Division 86 spent this week at TCU headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, working with Industry Relations Department staff to develop their abilities as briefwriters. Seen here they are, seated at left, District 851 Chairman Tom Heilig, Jr. and, seated at right, Vice General Chairman Kevin O’Connell of District 514. With them are, standing, Industry Relations Director Darwin Kubasiewicz and, seated, Executive Director Debbie Horrell.
JPB 50 VGC Hughs Attends Briefwriter’s Seminar at TCU Headquarters
October 23-27, 2006—After over 10 years as local chairman of Lodge 6787 in Galesburg, IL, Don Hughs this summer was elected a vice general chairman of Carmen Division Joint Protective Board 50. As a VGC, his responsibilities now include writing submissions for arbitration at public law boards, special boards of adjustment and the Second Division of the National Railroad Adjustment Board.
To study the fine points of writing winning cases, Hughs spent the week at TCU headquarters training with experts from the Industry Relations Department in the union’s intensive one-on-one briefwriter’s seminar.
The work accomplished is practical, not theoretical: Hughs brought with him current cases involving rules applications on the BNSF, one related to use of apprentice carmen at Galesburg and the other a discipline case.
Hughs is seen here with the key Division officer and staff members with whom he worked during the week. Seated from left are Industry Relations Executive Director Debbie Horrell, VGC Hughs and Carmen Division General Vice President Alex Novakovic and standing is Industry Relations Director Darwin Kubasiewicz.
Newly Elected Local Officers Train at IAM Education Center
April 2-7, 2006 —For the first time ever, a group of 19 recently elected TCU local officers joined their Machinists counterparts to hone their leadership skills. They attended TCU-IAM’s Railroad Local Chairmen Seminar, a weeklong education seminar held at the Winpisinger Center in Placid Harbor, Maryland.
During the week, TCU representatives and Machinists attended class together to learn about issues, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act and Railroad Retirement, that affect all railroad reps in the same way. Then the group split into the respective unions for classes uniquely designed to address the particular needs of their given memberships, focusing on grievance handling and representing members at disciplinary hearings.
“This first ever seminar was a tremendous success,” International President Bob Scardelletti told IAM International President Buffenbarger. “The facility is a wonderful place for learning, providing students with state of the art technology. This is the first of many more such education events for TCU leaders,” said Scardelletti.
Feedback from participants was “extremely positive,” he reported. “It was a great learning experience,” says District 937 Chairwoman Patti Smith of Fort Worth, Texas. “After experiencing firsthand what IAM is all about, I don’t think you could have picked a better union (to partner with),” she wrote to President Scardelletti. “The courses were well planned,” wrote District 512 Chairman Robert Ragland of Omaha, Nebraska. “It was an honor to meet our new brothers and sisters in the IAM….There was certainly a spirit of camaraderie on campus during our stay.”