CLEVELAND, February 2 — More than 80 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Portland & Western Railroad (P&W) on January 25.
“The agreement includes general wage increases of 12.5 percent over the life of the contract,” said BLET Vice-President Dale McPherson, who helped negotiate the deal. “Some members could realistically see wage increases in excess of 55 percent. The reason some could see wage increases of 55 percent is due to where they are in the rate progression scheme today and the fact that they will also be going to higher rates of pay upon promotion.”
The following provisions within the contract will allow BLET members to earn even higher wages on top of the 12.5 percent wage increase:
- The compression of entry rates from five to three years;
- Provisions for members to receive pay for training new employees and student engineers; and
- A night differential for members whose shift begins from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I give credit to Brothers John Mullen, the BLET’s Shortline Director, and Max Dilley, Local Chairman of Division 416 (in Albany, Ore.), for their hard work and persistence in obtaining a completed agreement for the employees,” Vice-President McPherson said. “I want to acknowledge the support of the members during negotiations.”
Other provisions of the contract include increased vacation time (15 days after five years of seniority and 20 days after 10 years); a company match on 401k contributions (25 percent of six percent of the employees yearly salary); and extra pay for rules and recertification classes.
The company covers employee health and welfare costs. Employee costs for their dependants’ health and welfare costs will not exceed $25 per pay period, or $50 per month.
The BLET also established a cooperative training program where the company will use persons selected by the BLET in the development and administration of training programs for new employees and student engineers.
“It is a real opportunity for the BLET to become an integral part of training on the property,” McPherson said.
Members will also participate in a profit sharing program. The company withheld payments to engine service employees after the BLET organized them, citing a provision in their company regulations mandating that profit sharing was only available to non-union employees. Not only did the BLET negotiate to reinstate its members in the profit sharing program, but also obtained back payments for two quarters that the company withheld.
The BLET also negotiated expanded work opportunities for its P&W membership. The Commuter Authority of Portland is working with the Portland & Western to establish passenger rail service between Portland and Salem. The BLET fought to assure that its members would have rights to the work at wage rates established in the BLET agreement.