BLET, Indiana & Ohio Railway reach tentative pact

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has reached a tentative labor agreement with the Indiana & Ohio Railway (IORY).

If ratified by members, the agreement will run through 2031 and provide a 7% general wage increase in 2026, 4.5% general wage increases for 2027-2030, and a 3% general wage increase in 2031, said BLET officials in a press release. Members' ballots for the ratification vote are due March 19.

The agreement also calls for a one-time $2,000 signing bonus; increased training pay; increased meal, lodging and safety boot allowances; and increased bereavement leave, BLET officials said.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns the IORY, which is based in Cincinnati. It operates over 511 miles of track in western Ohio, parts of southeast Indiana and southeast Michigan, according to BLET.