Voting is now underway as BLET members will make their voices heard on the tentative national agreement reached October 30 with 10 freight railroads represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC). Ballots were mailed today (December 5) to 12,000+ members and will be counted on December 30.
Highlights of the tentative five-year contract include:
- General wage increases of 17.5% (18.8% compounded)
- $500 lump sum payment
- No work rule concessions
- Improved vacation accrual schedule, allowing members to earn additional weeks of vacation at an accelerated rate
- No increase in out-of-pocket costs for health and welfare
- Employee monthly health and welfare cost sharing remains capped at 15% for the life of the agreement
- Enhancements to health and welfare benefits
Two Zoom Town Hall meetings set for December 9
Did you miss a Town Hall meeting on the national agreement or still have a question? You still have two opportunities to attend.
Two Town Hall meetings will be conducted via Zoom on December 9 (the first session is at 11:00 a.m. Eastern and the second at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time). The meetings are primarily for those who were unable to attend one of the earlier in-person Town Hall meetings.
The Zoom Town Halls, like the nine earlier in-person meetings, are being led by National President Mark Wallace, who served as BLET’s lead negotiator since becoming BLET’s National President in May. The most recent Town Halls were held earlier this week in Spokane, Wash., and Alliance, Neb., with the final in-person Town Hall taking place today at 7:00 p.m. Central time in Kansas City, Mo. (click here for photos).
The virtual meetings scheduled for next week are for BLET members only and advance registration is required. Please log in to the Members’ Area of the BLET National Division website to sign up. Members can also submit questions via email in advance. To submit a question email it to: TownHall@ble-t.org. The deadline to submit questions is 11:00 a.m., Sunday, December 7. President Wallace will answer as many questions as time allows during the virtual Town Halls.
The ratification packets mailed from the National Division this week contain a copy of the tentative agreement, a synopsis, rate tables, the agreed-upon Questions and Answers, and a ballot. Members can also review the tentative national agreement by logging in to the Members’ Area of the BLET National Division website.
BNSF photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659