Stephen D. Speagle
Vice President
blevicepres@aol.com
Stephen D. Speagle is a Vice-President of the 59,000 member Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He was re-elected to this position at the BLET's First Quadrennial Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 21, 2006. He was initially elected to this position at the BLE's Seventh Quinquennial Convention in Miami Beach, Fla., in September of 2001.
Vice-President Speagle comes from a railroad family. His grandfather worked as a machinist on the Wabash Railroad, as did an uncle. Another uncle was a locomotive engineer for the Wabash. Vice-President Speagle also has a cousin, Dwayne Shepherd, who is a locomotive engineer for Metra in Chicago and a member of BLET Division 815 (Blue Island, Ill.).
Brother Speagle has been a member of BLET Division 155 (Decatur, Ill.) since 1972 (or 1974). He began his railroad career in 1964 as a switchman on the Norfolk & Western Railroad out of Decatur. He went firing for the Norfolk & Western in 1968 and was promoted to locomotive engineer in 1972.
During his years as a BLE member, Vice-President Speagle has held a variety offices beginning in 1975 when he served as secretary-treasurer of Division 155 for three years. He also held the position of legislative representative for his division from 1979-1982. He twice held the position of local chairman for his division from 1978-1979 and 1982-1995. From 1991-1996, he was a member of the BLE's Board of Appeals. In 1983, he was elected to the position of vice general chairman and was in this position until 1995 when he became General Chairman of the Norfolk Southern-Northern lines.
Vice-President Speagle, 56, has been married to his wife, Sue, since 1966. The couple has two sons, Stephen and Aaron; a daughter-in-law, Julia; and five grandchildren, David, Ariel, Alyssa, Ariana and Sierra.
During his time away from the BLET, Vice-President Speagle enjoys motorcycles, chess and history. He also enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.
