National Contract Negotiations
The Tentative Agreement and Agreed Upon Q&A’s are available in the Member’s Area
News
Railroad companies almost inflicted an economic disaster on the U.S.
What was missing from many recent headlines? The actual reason for the conflict between railroad workers and their employers. The potential strike or lockout was not because of any dispute over pay, but because of inhumane attendance policies that currently mean railroad engineers and conductors are either working or “on call” 90 percent of the time.
Railroad strike averted after marathon talks reach tentative deal
Unions and management reached a tentative deal early Thursday, averting a freight railroad strike that had threatened to cripple US supply chains and push prices higher for many goods.
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on rail deal: It didn’t start as “necessarily a lovefest”
While Walsh described his main role as facilitating conversation, he also acknowledged that, at times, he had to do “a little persuasion” to nudge both sides closer to an agreement.
How an attendance policy led the U.S. to the brink of a nationwide railroad strike
Like so many essential workers in the pandemic, the engineers and conductors who drive the nation’s freight trains have had it.
Workers say railroads’ efficiency push became too much
To defuse a labor dispute that brought the nation to the brink of a potentially catastrophic railroad strike, negotiators had to resolve a key issue: schedules that workers say were punishing, upending their personal lives and driving colleagues from the industry.
Class I railroads work to resume operations
The U.S. operations of the Class I railroads are working to resume operations “immediately” now that a tentative deal has been reached to avoid a strike by union members on Friday.
BLET, SMART-TD reach tentative agreement with railroads
For immediate release, September 15, 2022 Statement by Jeremy Ferguson, President, SMART Transportation Division and Dennis Pierce, President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen on Tentative Agreement Reached Early This Morning Between Unions...
Largest railroad labor unions say they will strike if quality of life is not addressed in new contract
Two of the largest railroad unions in negotiations with railroad carriers have drawn a line in the sand: they are demanding more quality of life provisions are put into the contract, covering attendance policies, vacation and sick days, or they will strike. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART Transportation Division represent half of railroad union workers.
Railroad strike negotiations held up by battle over sick time policies
The top labor negotiator in talks to avert a railroad strike accused BNSF and Union Pacific of holding up progress. Specifically, Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, or BLET, said the companies rejected the union’s proposal for sick time policies.
3 more unions reach tentative agreements with freight railroads
Three more railroad unions have reached tentative agreements with U.S. freight railroads on a new labor contract, announced the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC).