CLEVELAND, December 20 — BLET members rejected a tentative contract proposal with Norfolk Southern in early December.
The vote was 1,050 for and 1,144 against. However, only 47.5 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, allowing less than half of the NS membership to determine the fate of the entire bargaining unit.
The three NS General Committee members voted as follows: Northern Lines in favor 504-344; Eastern Lines against 258-102; and Southern lines against 542-444.
The current contract does not expire until 2009, so members are still covered by a BLET contract. The General Committees plan to return to the bargaining table to resume negotiations on an improved deal in the new year.