advertisement

---

Transportation Communications International Union (TCU) and National Carriers' Conference Committee still are finalizing contract language on an agreement covering wages, and health and welfare benefits for Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division-represented clerks and carmen.


The union expects to implement the contract around April 1, said TCU International President Robert Scardelletti in a prepared statement.


On Jan. 23, an arbitrator ruled that the contract will include 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.


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


In October 2002, TCU and NCCC agreed to settle their negotiations through binding arbitration under National Mediation Board's auspices.


The parties, which have been negotiating a national contract since January 2000, had been in contract mediation since October 2001, when NCCC rejected a tentative agreement.