FORT WORTH, Texas — The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) has voted to ratify a new contract agreement with BNSF Railway.
The new agreement, announced today, increases wages, accelerates paid vacation accrual, and includes other contractual improvements.
The news comes a month ahead of the opening of the next collective bargaining round and provides a 3.5% average wage increase per year over the next five years. It also offers railroaders more vacation earlier in their career and makes enhancements to health care benefits.
“We thank our labor leaders who collaborated on this agreement and worked to make sure our employees are taken care of on and off the railroad,” BNSF CEO Katie Farmer said in a statement. “We are looking forward to continuing to work together in providing our customers with the high-quality service we deliver here at BNSF.”
“I’d like to thank ATDA Vice President Kevin Porter and General Chairman Kevin Ketcham for educating the members and helping to get this agreement ratified,” ATDA President Ed Dowell said in a statement. “By voting in favor of ratification, our members will enjoy wage increases and other benefits without years of delay.”
“This agreement checked the boxes that matter most for our dedicated members,” added ATDA Vice President Kevin Porter, the organization’s lead representative to BNSF. “The last two agreements equate to a 42 percent wage increase over 10 years, add the ability to get paid time off faster for even our newest members, and impact on members and their families becomes unprecedented … What makes this agreement historic is the speed in which it was reached.”
The announcement follows the ratification of labor agreements between BNSF and two other labor unions, The Transportation and Communications Union (TCU) and Brotherhood Railway Carmen, (BRC) in late September.
