CLEVELAND, May 14 — Another round of bargaining began in 2009 to improve agreements governing BLET members throughout the nation. Negotiations for a new National Agreement have begun, and contract talks will begin later this year on Amtrak and U.S. railroads owned by Canadian National Railway.
The national bargaining process began last November, when General Chairmen on most Class I railroads and several Class II and Class III served notice on the carriers to revise, amend, and extend current agreements. Identical notices were served to increase rates of pay and improve work rules and various working conditions, and to improve health and welfare benefits. In addition, railroad-specific notices were served to improve local rules and working conditions.
However, the BLET is in a somewhat different bargaining posture in this round, as compared to past rounds of bargaining. Wage settlements already have been reached with BNSF Railway, most of CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern. Also, BLET General Committees on Union Pacific Railroad are negotiating rates of pay, rules and working conditions on-property rather than nationally. Health and welfare bargaining for all four carriers is being conducted nationally.
In the round of bargaining that produced the 2007 National Agreement, the BLET fully participated in the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC), along with six other unions. However, this year the BLET’s participation in the RLBC is limited to health and welfare issues.
In explaining this shift in bargaining strategy, National President Paul Sorrow said, “It’s natural for us to bargain as part of the RLBC on health and welfare issues because the Railroad Employees’ National Health and Welfare Plan provides a uniform set of benefits to all covered railroad workers and it makes perfect sense to pool our resources to achieve our common health and welfare goals.”
“At the same time, though, since we have an overarching interest in preserving a minimum two-person crew on all trains and dealing with the impact of technology that will be implemented over the next ten years, it is not appropriate for us to be a part of RLBC in this round when it comes to rates of pay and working conditions,” Sorrow added.
The composition of the BLET’s National Wage Committee is dictated by the BLET Bylaws, and includes: President Sorrow as the Chairman; First Vice President Dennis Pierce; Vice President Lee Pruitt; NS General Chairmen Cole Davis representing the Eastern General Chairmen’s Association; CSXT General Chairman Don Moates representing the Southeastern General Chairmen’s Association; and CP General Chairman Mike Priester representing the Western General Chairmen’s Association. Director of Benefits Dan Cook and Assistant to the President and Director of Research Tom Pontolillo have been assigned as staff support for the Committee.
Bargaining is subject to the Railway Labor Act, which prohibits the carriers from changing rates of pay, rules and working conditions during negotiations. If the parties fail to reach an agreement, either side can invoke the services of the National Mediation Board, and reaching an impasse in mediation can lead to the creation of a Presidential Emergency Board and a settlement imposed by Congress.
Section 6 Notices are available for viewing on the BLET website:
https://www.ble-t.org/negotiations2009