California High-Speed Rail Authority, unions sign agreement

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High-Speed Rail Authority and 13 unions have announced an agreement to use union labor to operate the state’s high speed rail system.

The Memorandum of Understanding announced today (Friday, Nov. 17) will cover an estimated 3,000 workers to operate the full system between the Bay Area and Southern California; about 400 operating jobs are expected to be created when the first, 171-mile section opens between Merced and Bakersfield, Calif.

“The Authority is proud to continue its tradition of working with labor unions and we are pleased to have reached this important agreement that ensures we have the highest quality working conditions for our highly trained and qualified workers,” Authority CEO Brian Kelly said in a press release. “This is essential to ensuring that California’s high-speed rail system will be operated with the safest and highest quality of service for our passengers.”

Members of the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition include:

— The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division;

— Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen;

— International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD);

— National Conference of Firemen and Oilers 32BJ/SEIU;

— Transportation Communications Union;

— International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers;

— Brotherhood of Railway Carmen;

— International Brotherhood of Boilermakers;

— Transport Workers Union of America;

— American Train Dispatchers Association;

— International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Department (SMART-TD);

— Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen;

— International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

“As the nation’s largest transportation labor union federation, we are proud to support monumental projects like the California high-speed rail project, which will deliver a modern, efficient, and green transit system while putting skilled union members to work,” said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.

The full Memorandum of Understanding is available here.