FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract, while the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers has ratified its agreement with the railroad.
The BNSF-IBEW agreement is the ninth reached by the railroad in the last two months ahead of the opening of the next round of collective bargaining, and means 53% of the railroad’s union workforce is now covered by agreements.
The IBEW agreement is comparable to those reached earlier with CSX and Norfolk Southern [see “CSX announces tentative deals with two unions …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 23, 2024, and “Norfolk Southern, electrical workers announce …,” News Wire, Oct. 22, 2024]. The average annual wage increase of 3.5% works out to an 18.77% wage increase compounded over the five-year term of the contract. The agreement, which covers approximately 1,200 workers at BNSF, also includes improved vacation and sick-time benefits. It is subject to a ratification vote by members.
“This new agreement reflects the IBEW’s commitment to ensuring that jobs in the freight rail industry are good jobs that provide economic security for our members and their families,” IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper said in a press release.
No details on the NCFO ratification vote were announced. The union announced the agreement with BNSF in August, saying the five-year deal included a 17.5% wage increase and improved vacation and health benefits.
