CLEVELAND, December 3 — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new hourly-rate collective bargaining agreement with the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railway (DM&E) on November 30, 2015.
The agreement governs rates of pay and work rules for approximately 300 locomotive engineers, assistant engineers, conductors and brakemen. It runs through December 31, 2019. The contract provides general wage increases between 30 and 50 percent dependent upon craft and assignment, as well as overtime rates and general holiday rates. The contract also provides for a Guaranteed Extra Board weekly rate of pay.
The hourly agreement provides all covered employees, including Guaranteed Extra Boards and Pools, with two consecutive days off in their scheduled work week. The agreement also provides for up to 11 personal leave days and up to five weeks’ vacation.
Under the new agreement, employees will have the ability to participate in the Employee Share Purchase Plan and will receive a company match. For those who maximize their participation in the plan, the company match equates to an approximate additional 2 percent annual value.
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce thanked the negotiating team of General Chairman Pete Semenek and Vice President Cole W. Davis for a job well done. He also thanked the DM&E membership for their participation in the voting process.
“I want to congratulate our membership on the 80%+ participation rate in the ratification vote,” President Pierce said. “The overwhelming percentage by which the agreement was ratified shows that the BLET leadership on the property is well in tune with the members’ needs.”
The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad is a Class II subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It operates across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and extending into Kansas City, Mo.