Norfolk Southern reaches tentative pacts with 5 more unions

Norfolk Southern Railway today announced it has reached tentative, five-year collective bargaining agreements with five labor unions in addition to the four announced last week.

Together, the nine agreements cover 55% of the Class I’s unionized workforce. They were reached four months before the opening of the next round of collective bargaining, NS officials said in a press release.

The most recent agreements, which were reached in partnership with BNSF Railway Co., include the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers. In addition, NS separately reached tentative agreements with the American Train Dispatchers Association, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division Yardmasters. All the agreements have yet to be ratified by the unions’ members.

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, NS officials said.

"As we recognize Labor Day this upcoming weekend, we express our appreciation for the contributions of our craft employees. We're committed to supporting them with the pay, health care and personal time they deserve, and look forward to reaching additional agreements with all of our unions in the near future,” said NS President and CEO Alan Shaw.

For BNSF, tentative agreements now are in place with two more unions ahead of the scheduled bargaining round, said Katie Farmer, the Class I’s president and CEO. 

“The well-being of our people is key to our collective success, and this swift collaboration is indicative of our commitment to working together to continue delivering exceptional freight service to our customers,” she said.