CLEVELAND, November 6 — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the BNSF Railway have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract that would run through Dec. 31, 2014.
“It is an honor for me and for the four BLET general chairmen to be able to present to our members a proposal that gives them the security of a five-year agreement, additional income and additional time off without a single giveback or rule change,” said National Vice President Steve Speagle.
The agreement would take effect January 1, 2010, and would provide a general wage increase in each year of the contract. The tentative contract settles wage and work rule matters, but health and welfare issues will be addressed in upcoming industry-wide negotiations.
Specific details of the proposed contract will be released to members as part of the ratification process. The BLET National Division is currently in the process of printing and mailing the ballot information, and it is expected all ballots will be mailed by the middle of next week.
BLET Acting President Paul Sorrow praised Vice President Speagle along with General Chairmen Rick Gibbons (former STL-SF), Austin Morrison (former C&S/CRI&P/FWD), Pat Williams (former AT-SF) and Matt Wilson (BNSF-MRL) for their hard work in negotiating the agreement.
“The agreement reflects a great effort on the part of the General Chairmen and the BLET negotiating team to arrive at what we view to be a fair settlement of wage/rules in the midst of what is labeled by some to be the worst economic recession in American history since the Great Depression,” Sorrow said. “We expect things to continue to improve going forward.”