Officers, members, and guests at the 2026 NASLBC annual meeting.
Members of the BLET’s National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen (NASLBC), meeting at National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio, concluded their 51st annual meeting on May 20.
The chairmen representing 40 states heard a comprehensive report from National President Mark Wallace, which covered all BLET legislative, political and collective bargaining affairs. “One of the most important things we do as a union happens in Washington, D.C., educating legislators — regardless of party affiliation — on why worker rights are important to supporting the middle class and working class,” President Wallace said.
First Vice President Gary Best provided a detailed report on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, and the potential negative impact it could have on railroad workers. He said BLET has remained opposed to the merger as job protections promised by the carrier are not strong enough to protect workers in the event of line sales or spin-offs to short lines.
National Secretary-Treasurer David Estes, who heads the BLET’s Education and Training Department, discussed BLET’s efforts to expand access to training using technology such as Zoom, plans to offer more workshops at this summer’s regional meetings, and the recent training session for grievance chairmen representing the BLET’s short line Divisions. Estes also provided information regarding BLET membership figures and the union’s financial situation.
Special guest Justin Bibb, Mayor of the City of Cleveland, was on hand to welcome the chairmen to Northeast Ohio as the meeting got underway on May 19. Making presentations to the group on May 19 were: Vince Verna, BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative; Christy Smith, BLET Director of Regulatory Affairs; Alex Beckmann, Legislative Director of the Teamsters Rail Conference; and Natalie Miller, National 2nd Vice President and Legislative Representative of the BLET Auxiliary.
The NASLBC is comprised of 40 State Legislative Boards across the United States and represents thousands of hard-working members of the BLET. The NASLBC has met each year since 1975 to hear from each State Chairman about railroad-related safety and health issues as well as each state’s political climate. This week’s meeting marked the first time in the NASLBC’s 51-year history that its members met at BLET National Division headquarters.
A gallery of photos can be found here on the National Division website.