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On March 25, Transportation Communications International Union (TCU) announced that National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC) and TCU officials signed a contract covering wage increases, and health and welfare benefits for Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division-represented clerks and carmen.


The contract includes retroactive general wage increases of 2.5 percent on June 30, 2002, and 3.5 percent on July 1, 2002, as well as future increases of 3.0 percent on July 1, 2003, and 3.25 percent on July 1, 2004.


TCU members will begin paying part of monthly health-care premiums and retroactively pay for health insurance dating back to 2001. Similar to all rail labor union-represented workers, TCU members previously paid minimal out-of-pocket expenses for health-care insurance and no monthly premiums.


In October 2002, TCU and NCCC agreed to settle negotiations through binding arbitration under National Mediation Board's auspices. On Jan. 23, an arbitrator issued a contract ruling; TCU and NCCC spent the past two months finalizing contract language.