BLET members ratify pacts with Transit America, Louisville & Indiana Railroad

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members in recent weeks ratified new contracts with Transit America Services Inc. (TASI) and the Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC).

The TASI agreement was ratified Oct. 15 and governs wages, benefits and work rules for more than 60 engineers at Caltrain. The five-year agreement provides general wage increases of 14.5 percent through 2021, including retroactive pay to 2017, BLET officials said in a press release.

With an average of 65,000 riders each weekday, Caltrain's commuter-rail service operates between San Francisco and Gilroy, California. Amtrak had operated the service until spring 2012.

Ratified Oct. 28, the LIRC contract governs wages, benefits and work rules for 20 members. The five-year pact runs through November 2024 and provides a 17 percent increase in wages over the life of the agreement, BLET officials said.

Additionally, the BLET negotiated guaranteed rest days on the guaranteed extra board, secured expanded bereavement leave and protected members' seniority when filling vacancies, they said.

Based in Jefferson, Indiana, the LIRC's 106-mile main line operates between Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis.