BNSF News

Four Unions Ratify New Agreements

2007-09-20

Members of the Transportation Communications International Union (TCU); Brotherhood Railroad Carmen, Division of Transportation Communications International Union (TCU-Carmen); Transportation Workers Union (TWU); and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have ratified new agreements with the nation’s major railroads, joining seven other unions that have reached final agreements on new contracts.

Almost two-thirds of the 145,000 Class I railroad employees in national bargaining have final contracts. Only two unions – the United Transportation Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – do not have agreements with the carriers.

Besides providing benefits and wage increases that will keep rail employees among the nation’s most highly compensated industrial workers, the agreements also include measures designed to manage the continued dramatic growth in health care costs, including a redesign of employee health care plans and a new cost-sharing formula.

More than 30 railroads, including BNSF, CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific, have been engaged in national bargaining with the rail unions since November 2004.

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