Washington, D.C. – On 11/7/2024, American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) President Ed Dowell was elected by acclamation as Chairman of the Cooperating Rail Labor Organizations (CRLO). CRLO consists of each rail labor union President or designee whose members are covered by the Railroad Employees National Health & Welfare Plan or the SMART-TD Health & Welfare Plan. CRLO serves as a critically important advocate for the healthcare of over 300,000 American railroad workers and their dependents. Also elected were Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) President Mike Baldwin, re-elected to a second term as Vice-Chairman, and National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO) President Michael Pistone, elected as Secretary-Treasurer.
On 11/1/2024, the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) announced that Jeff Rodgers will become its Chairman. CRLO Chairman Dowell and NRLC Chairman Rodgers will each serve as Co-Chairman for the jointly managed National Health & Welfare Plan. Dowell has selected ATDA’s David Ursini to serve as CRLO Administrator, who will also serve as Administrator for the National Health & Welfare Plan.
Commenting on his election as Chairman, Dowell said “It is a great honor to be elected by my fellow rail Chiefs. I look forward to working closely with Vice Chairman, BRS President Baldwin, and Secretary-Treasurer, NCFO President Pistone. I want to thank outgoing Chairman TCU President Artie Maratea and Administrator TCU’s Ellen Conboy for all their time and effort leading CRLO. Most members are unaware of all the work CRLO does. It’s not glamorous. Behind the scenes, it takes a lot of hard work to jointly manage a 2+ billion-dollar healthcare plan. We have one of the best healthcare plans in the nation and CRLO not only manages but fights to preserve the benefits that have been collectively bargained.”