(The following report appeared on the Lincoln Journal Star website on May 9.)
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and BNSF Railway Co. have agreed in principle on a contract for BNSF engineers only that would supplement a national agreement between the union and the nation’s major railroads.
The agreement is subject to ratification by union members working for BNSF and is contingent on ratification of the national agreement’s terms.
The national agreement between the nation’s major railroads and a coalition of unions, tentatively settled in February, is hung up on interpretation of a couple of issues, according to John Bentley, spokesman for the engineers and trainmen’s union.
The engineers’ union in March announced that the proposed five-year national agreement would provide wage increases of 17 percent over the life of the agreement. There would also be a cap placed on employee health care contributions and there would be no work rule changes under the proposed agreement, according to BLET.
The coalition of unions representing more than 85,000 people include the BLET, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees division of the Teamsters, the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the Sheet Metal Workers, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers; and the American Train Dispatchers Association.
The BNSF agreement covers about 6,500 engineers systemwide, about 600 in Nebraska, Bentley said. The union also represents some other train-operating positions.
The union and railroad’s joint statement on the agreement said it would provide “unprecedented levels of profit-sharing and secure the scope of BLET members’ job responsibilities in the future, particularly as train control technology advances.”
The agreement also improves pay for an employee’s certification by the Federal Railroad Administration, health and welfare benefit eligibility standards, meal allowances and other extra-pay classifications, the union and railroad said. A new rule governing the bidding and bumping process is another part of the deal.
Stephen D. Speagle, a union vice president, said the agreement “reflects BNSF’s unique position in the railroad industry and will enable BNSF locomotive engineers to participate fully in the railroad’s long-term growth.”
John Fleps, BNSF’s vice president for labor relations, called the agreement “a major step forward in the already constructive and valued relationship between BNSF and BLET.”
“The agreement demonstrates in the plainest way the good that comes when labor leaders and management work hard together to solve the large issues which face the company and our employees,” Fleps said
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., BNSF Railway Company operates one of the largest North American rail networks, with about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces.
BNSF employs about 4,400 people in Nebraska, 1,600 in Lincoln.