Brother Terry Todd
In memoriam: Former Arkansas State Legislative Board Chairman Terry Todd, 1957-2023
Brother Terry L. Todd, long-serving Chairman of the BLET’s Arkansas State Legislative Board, passed away on December 10, 2023. He was 65 years old.
Brother Todd hired out as a brakeman with the Missouri Pacific Railroad at Monroe, La., in June of 1977. He went firing on June 29, 1978, and earned promotion to locomotive engineer on September 8, 1979. He has held continuous membership in BLET for more than 40 years, having joined the Brotherhood on September 1, 1978. He first joined Division 915 (Alexandria, La.), transferring to Division 585 (North Little Rock, Ark.) several years later.
In 1996, Brother Todd began serving Division 585 as President and Legislative Representative, offices that he held until his retirement. He spent 20 years as an officer of the BLET’s Arkansas State Legislative Board, serving as its Secretary-Treasurer from 1998-2002 before being elected Chairman in 2002. He was reelected to six terms of office as Chairman between 2002 and his retirement in 2018.
Brother Todd was Chairman of the BLET’s former Southwestern Convention Meeting (SWCM) from 2006-2015, and represented his Division as Delegate to several BLET National Division conventions over the years. He is a former 1st Vice Chairman of the BLET’s National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen (NASLBC) and former Chairman of NASLBC Region 2. Brother Todd has been a member of the Arkansas State AFL-CIO Executive Committee since 2001. He also served as a National Division Representative on the Rail Safety Advisory Committee’s (RSAC) working group for Hours of Service.
Two major railroad safety bills were signed into state law during his tenure as Chairman of the Arkansas State Legislative Board. In 2009, then-Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe signed House Bill 1318 into law. The “Safe Transportation of Railroad Employees by Contract Carriers Act” increased safety for railroad workers by mandating improved safety standards for van drivers employed by railroad contract carriers as well as their motor vehicles they use to transport train crews to and from off-duty locations. The law mandates hours of service for van drivers, drug testing for drivers, inspections of the vehicles, and maintenance of the vehicles. It also mandates liability insurance of $5 million for each motor vehicle that transports railroad employees. In 2017, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, signed Act 955 into law, which protects train crews by imposing harsher penalties on criminals who target railroad workers. The act is designed discourage terrorist acts against freight railroads and public transportation employees, and protects locomotive engineers, conductors, switchmen, brakemen, trainmen, and firemen.
His Last Run came on December 21, 2017. He worked as locomotive engineer of a manifest train (operating an SD70 locomotive) between Longview, Texas, and North Little Rock, Ark. His retirement became effective January 2, 2018. Members of Division 585 in North Little Rock honored him with a surprise retirement dinner and party following his Last Run.
Brother Todd was part of a railroad family. His father Marlin Todd was an electrician and manager for the Missouri Pacific for many years. His Brother, Arlin Todd, is a BLET member and locomotive engineer with CN. Arlin served as Chairman of the BLET’s Louisiana State Legislative Board prior to his retirement.
After retirement, Brother Todd was known to continue attending union meetings. He enjoyed hunting and spending time with his family.
Brother Todd and his wife, Jane Gray-Todd, were married on June 24, 1989. He had three children: Lindsey (deceased), Haley and Ryan, and five grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held at the Teamsters Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.