FORT WORTH, Texas — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and BNSF Railway have reached a systemwide agreement on paid sick leave and schedule improvements.
The tentative agreement, announced today, includes up to eight paid sick leave days and grants access to scheduled time off in an effort to improve work-life balance for BNSF locomotive engineers.
BNSF and the BLET called the tentative agreement a “breakthrough” that came after several months of negotiations. If ratified, “it is expected to bring positive changes to both the professional and personal lives of locomotive engineers,” the railroad and union said.
The agreement will allow for more predictable scheduling and enable engineers to take paid sick leave without any penalty. These enhancements will not only contribute to a more consistent service for BNSF’s customers, the railroad and union said, but also aid in the recruitment and retention of employees.
The agreement introduces work/rest options that can be implemented in every engineer pool. Locomotive engineers will have the opportunity to earn an “earned day off” quarterly. In addition, all BLET-represented engineers at BNSF will be provided individual paid sick days.
Approximately 7,500 BLET members at BNSF will receive detailed information about the tentative agreement this week. A ratification vote is scheduled for September.
It is NOT 8 days, it is 5 days with the option to use 3 PLD or VAC days that we have already earned to be used as sick days, so let’s call this what it is. It’s only 5 paid sick days.