Three unions have now voted to ratify the tentative contract agreement negotiated on Sept. 15 between the six US Class 1 freight railroads and labor unions representing 125,000 rail workers (GM Sept. 16, p. 1).
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which represents most Class I freight railroads in national collective bargaining, announced on Sept. 27 that members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) voted to ratify the agreement, joining the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and Brotherhood Railway Carmen (BRC).
In addition, one union that had rejected the earlier agreement – the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – has now also reached a five-year contract with the railroads, according to a Sept. 27 statement by officials with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents 4,900 locomotive machinists, track equipment mechanics, and facility maintenance personnel.
According to Railway Age, only one remaining union – the District 19 Machinists – has yet to sign on to the tentative agreement reached on Sept. 15, which includes a 24% wage increase over five years, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020; an immediate bonus payout of $11,000 upon ratification; and amended attendance policies, allowing workers three extra unpaid days off per year for doctor’s appointment without penalty.
The latest agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers also included a reported cap in healthcare costs, a “single room occupancy” agreement that guarantees roadway mechanics their own sleeping rooms while on travel, and a guarantee from the NCCC to bargain over travel expenses and per diem.
All of the tentative agreements contain “me too” clauses, which means the terms reached during each bargaining session will apply to all unions across the board upon ratification. The ratification process will continue into at least mid-November, Railway Age reported, with all 12 unions agreeing to maintain the status quo until all union ratification votes are completed, regardless of the voting outcome.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), which was one of the three largest unions that agreed to the tentative contract on Sept. 15, told members on Sept. 27 that “should the tentative agreement fail ratification, [national officers] will be on the picket line with membership” when the latest cooling-off period ends on Dec. 9.