CLEVELAND, September 11 — By an 85 percent majority, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen yesterday ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with CSX Transportation.
The new contract provides for wage increases of 16 percent over the life of the contract (value is over 17 percent when compounded) in addition to annual bonus payments from the Maximum Performance Bonus Payout plan.
The tally was 1,591 votes in favor and 240 against for an 85.26 approval percentage.
“This Agreement represents an acknowledgment by CSXT of the contributions of locomotive engineers to CSXT’s shippers, as well as a recognition of the carrier’s profitability in these difficult economic times,” BLET National President Ed Rodzwicz said.
The agreement covers approximately 5,000 CSX locomotive engineers, who are represented by three BLET General Committees of Adjustment — CSX Eastern Lines, Western Lines and Northern Lines. The new agreement is a continuation of the Single System Agreement ratified in April of 2007.
Ratified by a ratio better than 6-to-1, the newly-ratified contract provides for an increase in the Maximum Performance Bonus Payout from 10% of total wages in 2009 to 12% each year from 2010 through 2014, regardless of length of service. These bonus payments are in addition to the general wage increases.
The new contract also retains the $15.00 per day, $0.15 per overmile Special Pay Differential for locomotive engineers.
Members have the option to “snap back” at the end of 2014 to the National Agreement, which would include all general wage increases (GWI’s) from the upcoming national bargaining round.
The current health and welfare and short-term disability plans will continue without change under the new agreement until the conclusion of national negotiations, at which time any changes in the National Agreement will be implemented. The agreement also contains a moratorium on Section 6 notice to change any terms of the BLET-CSXT Single System Agreement until November 1, 2014, with future changes to be effective no earlier than January 1, 2015.
The agreement did not address any work rule changes.
National President Rodzwicz praised the efforts of General Chairmen Tony Smith (Eastern Lines), Don Moates (Western Lines), and Rick Finamore (Northern Lines), who finalized the tentative agreement with the assistance of Vice President Dennis Pierce.
Vice President Pierce thanked those members who took time to participate in the voting process. “Regardless of how they voted, I thank all of those members who got involved. It is important that members make their voices heard on contract issues that have such a huge impact on their livelihoods.”
A member of the Teamsters Rail Conference, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen represents 55,000 professional locomotive engineers and trainmen throughout the United States.