BMWED members ratify contract with Paducah & Louisville Railway

Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters recently ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Paducah & Louisville Railway.

The contract includes general wage increases that total 13.75 percent over the life of the contract, with a $500 signing bonus and a protected number of positions during the duration of the deal, BMWED officials said in a press release. 

The levels of increases will keep BMWED employees’ wages above the national average, they said.

The agreement also settles work rule matters, including a freeze on health and welfare contributions, prescription co-pays and deductibles. 

“In this current economic climate, an agreement without health insurance concessions is important and was vital for BMWED members on the Paducah & Louisville,” union officials said. 

The agreement extends from Jan. 1, 2019, with back pay, through Dec. 31, 2023.