Railroads have reached tentative agreements with three unions as the prospect of a September strike looms.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents the freight railroads in national collective bargaining, on Monday afternoon said it has reached tentative deals with the Transportation Communications Union/IAM, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Together, these unions represent more than 15,000 rail employees. The other unions involved in negotiations represent 100,000 employees, including engineers and conductors.
The tentative agreements are the first to be reached since the Presidential Emergency Board issued settlement recommendations on Aug. 16. The tentative agreements implement the PEB’s recommendations, which include a 24% compounded wage increase during the five-year period from 2020 through 2024 — with a 14.1%wage increase effective immediately — and five annual $1,000 lump sum payments.
A portion of the wage increases and lump sum payments are retroactive and will be paid upon ratification of the agreements by the unions’ membership.
The NCCC said it looked forward to additional discussions with the unions that have not yet reached tentative agreements and will continue seeking voluntary agreements based on the PEB’s recommendations.
“This comes after a long, tough process that began almost three years ago and led us through every step of the Railway Labor Act, including a Presidential Emergency Board,” said Josh Hartford, IAM Special Assistant to the International President. “Since serving Section Six Notices, your IAM Rail Division leaders have fought tirelessly, advocating in your best interests and demanding a fair agreement.”
The IAM Rail Division said it fully supports the tentative agreements and recommends that members vote “yes” on the proposal, which would deliver the highest-ever wage increases for rail workers.
Under the Railway Labor Act, the carriers and the unions remain in a 30-day cooling off period. Voluntary settlements with all unions would avert any potential disruptions to rail service after the cooling off period ends at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 16.
Over the weekend the leaders of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART-TD union said contract negotiations didn’t produce an agreement.
Updated at 3:30 Central Time with comment from IAM union.
Perhaps this agreement may serve as a bellwether for further progress with other unions. Sometimes, a kind of momentum can appear. Hoping, anyway.
Had hope reading the headline. Reading the article, I was immediately disappointed that these are among the smaller rail unions.