1/3/2013

Railroading People Article
UTU reassigns, appoints several officers

The United Transportation Union (UTU) has appointed Assistant President and International Vice President John Previsich to the additional post of general secretary and treasurer. He will continue handling assignments as an international VP, but they will be pared down because of his new duties, UTU officials said in a prepared statement.

Previsich succeeds Kim Thompson, who retired Dec. 31. International VP Delbert Strunk had been elevated to general secretary and treasurer, effective Jan. 1, but he instead opted to retire Dec. 31.

Previsich was elected international VP in 2007 and re-elected to the post in 2011. He was elected assistant president in August 2012. Previsich previously served the union as local chairperson, vice general chairperson, general chairperson and chair of the Union Pacific General Chairperson Association.

The UTU also appointed Alternate VP Troy Johnson an international VP to succeed Paul Tibbit, who retired Dec. 1; Alternate VP John England, an international VP to fill a position vacated by Strunk; Vice General Chairperson Jeremy Ferguson and General Chairperson Brent Leonard, alternate VPs to fill the positions vacated by Johnson and England; and Bruce Feltmeyer, general secretary and treasurer of the UTU Insurance Association. Feltmeyer also serves as director of staff at UTU's headquarters in North Olmsted, Ohio.