Doug Davidson
Arbitration
davidson@ble-t.org
Doug Davidson is the Assistant Director of Arbitration for the BLET National Division and represents the Organization as a Labor Member of the National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB).
As Assistant Director of Arbitration, he reports to Vice President and Director of Arbitration Marcus J. Ruef. His job duties fall into three categories: training, support resource and arbitration advocacy.
He serves on the teaching faculty at all Local and General Chairman workshops conducted jointly by the BLET Education & Training and Arbitration Departments. He and Vice President Ruef also conduct education and training sessions at General Committee and Regional Meetings addressing various representational topics, including mock arbitration hearings. These feature a real-life Referee.
Brother Davidson consults with General Chairmen who need assistance in preparing to arbitrate minor disputes, assists Local Chairmen who are preparing to represent charged employees in discipline matters, and responds to all calls placed to the Engineer Certification Helpline. He also practices arbitration, advocating on behalf of the Brotherhood during Referee Hearings and participating in Executive Sessions at the First Division, NRAB.
As a Labor Member of the NRAB, he serves on the tribunal, which decides the discipline and schedule rule cases brought by the Organization. He is also responsible for the Organization's portion of administrative duties at the NRAB, including the selection of referees, deadlocking and scheduling of cases, the adoption of the awards and overseeing correspondence between NRAB and the parties. He also directs the NRAB's Railroad Training for Arbitrators program, which familiarizes new Referees with railroad operations.
Brother Davidson grew up in Evanston, Ill., and went railroading 36 days past his 18th birthday in 1973. He became a road brakeman for Chicago & North Western (now Union Pacific) in 1976 and transferred to the craft of fireman in 1978. He earned promotion to locomotive engineer in June 1980 and immediately joined Division 96 of the BLE. In 1988, his local chairman resigned and Brother Davidson was appointed by the division president to fill the remainder of the term.
He was reelected in 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007. He also served as a delegate at four BLE International / National Conventions (1991, 1996, 2001, 2006) and as a delegate to the IBT Convention in 2006, representing Union Pacific Northern Region engineers. He was hired by the National Division on July 1, 2006, and was appointed to the NRAB on September 1, 2006.
Brother Davidson resides in Evanston, Ill., with Annie Davidson, his wife of 28 years. The happy couple has two adult children, daughter Sophie and son Floyd.
