BNSF, NS, CSX reach tentative labor pacts with multiple unions

BNSF Railway Co. (BNSF) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) announced late last week they’ve reached tentative five-year collective bargaining agreements with the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division/TCU (BRC), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Mechanical Department (SMART-MD) and the Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU).

BNSF has also reached a tentative agreement with the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), and NS announced it has reached tentative agreements with multiple General Committees for the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division (SMART-TD).

Subject to ratification, the agreements come four months before the opening of the next collective bargaining round, giving covered employees unprecedented certainty about upcoming enhancements to their pay, health care and vacation, BNSF officials said in a press release.

The agreements cover about 30% of NS union workforce, NS officials said in a press release.

The tentative agreements provide a 3.5% average wage increase per year over the next five years. They also offer railroaders more vacation earlier in their career and make meaningful enhancements to an already robust suite of health care benefits.

Meanwhile, CSX on Aug. 23 announced it reached new tentative five-year collective agreements with seven additional labor unions. Those agreements cover the following groups:
• Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED), covering maintenance of way employees;
• International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) covering machinists and roadway mechanics;
• SMART-TD covering yardmasters;
• Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), covering carmen at the Fruit Growers Express Co. subsidiary of CSX;
• the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) covering the clerical craft at Fruit Growers Express;
• American Railway and Airway Supervisors’ Association covering mechanical department supervisors; and
• The B&O Joint Council covering mechanical department foremen/supervisors.

With those additional unions, CSX has now reached a total of 12 separate tentative agreements, covering more than 50% of its union employees. The terms of the agreements are aligned, providing equivalent packages of improved wages, health care and paid time off benefits, CSX officials said in a press release.