Second rail union ratifies national contract with freight carriers

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) is now the second union to ratify the national mediated collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the Coordinated Bargaining Group (CBG).

The BRS represents more than 8,000 members affected by the new agreement and is one of six labor organizations represented by the CBG.

"This round of bargaining brought its unique challenges, going from an arms-reach of an agreement back to square one following the 2016 presidential elections," said BRS President Dan Pickett in a prepared statement. "As mediation was starting to stalemate, in the final hours we were able to get the Carriers to shift some of their positions and come to an agreement we felt was fair for our brothers and sisters."

On Monday, the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) announced that a majority of its members voted to ratify the agreement.

In addition to BRS and ATDA, the CBG represents the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers; the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers/SEIU; and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART TD).