Vice President of the Northwest Region of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Staci Moody-Gilbert, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast as part of our ongoing Women’s History Month coverage. Moody-Gilbert discussed her roles in the union, the number of councils and caucuses she advises and what it was like as a woman in a male-dominated industry.
Moody-Gilbert is the first general chairwoman and the first woman elected to the executive board in the history of the BMWED. Before starting her career in the rail industry, she tried college, but after a year she determined that wasn’t the place for her and chose to enlist in the U.S. Navy. After finishing her commitment in the Navy, she moved back to Wyoming. Eventually, she found a job with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1993, becoming a member of the BMWED at the same time. She worked on the tracks until 2005, when she was offered a staff position with the BMWED’s Burlington system. She would eventually be elected General Chairperson for the Burlington System Division of the BMWED at the 2012 national convention.
Moody-Gilbert has served as the Vice President of the Northwest Region since being elected in 2022. Since becoming Vice President, she has become an advisor to the BMWED Armed Forces Council and National Hispanic Caucus in 2023. Her passion for helping members and ensuring they and their families are cared for and protected has driven her growth in the union. Moody-Gilbert also discussed her work with the union’s Women’s Committee, and how the Teamsters provide training and different diversity caucuses to help grow and empower a diverse workforce and future leaders.
As a woman in the railroad industry, she was often a rarity, as there were less than 100 women on the tracks at one point in her career. Moody-Gilbert talked about the challenges she faced while working on the tracks, finding proper female protection equipment and having access to facilities on the work site. The work by the BMWED to grow the female membership has been obvious to her since joining the executive committee, and she has seen more female leadership at all levels of the union. Moody-Gilbert said the union benefits far outweigh any of the negative challenges she’s faced and she wants to be sure other women in the industry experience the same support she’s received.
To hear more from Moody-Gilbert, please listen to the show above.