News Archive

WASHINGTON (Feb. 2, 2012) – The nation’s major freight railroads today reached a tentative agreement with the last unsettled union, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), which represents more than 25,000 employees in the current round of national bargaining. The deal follows contract ratifications announced earlier today by members of the American Train Dispatchers Association and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. Read more.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 2, 2012) – Members of the American Train Dispatchers Association and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen have ratified new contracts with the nation’s largest freight railroads. The unions, which together represent approximately 8,600 employees in this bargaining round, began negotiations with the railroads’ bargaining representative, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), in January 2010. Read more.

WASHINGTON (January 17, 2012) – Members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association have ratified new contracts with the nation’s largest freight railroads. The unions, which together represent approximately 9,000 employees in this bargaining round, began negotiations with the railroads’ bargaining representative, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), in January 2010. Read more.

WASHINGTON (January 5, 2012) – Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET), the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have ratified new contracts with the nation’s largest freight railroads. The BLET, NCFO and IBEW, which together represent about 33,170 employees in collective bargaining, began negotiations with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) in January 2010. Read more.

WASHINGTON (December 22, 2011) – Members of the Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU) and the Brotherhood Railway Carmen-Division TCU/IAM (Carmen) today ratified new contracts with the nation’s largest freight railroads. The TCU and the Carmen, which represent about 16,500 employees in collective bargaining, began negotiations with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) in January 2010. Read more.

WASHINGTON (December 1, 2011) – The nation’s major freight railroads today reached tentative agreements with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the American Train Dispatchers Association, which together represent about 26,500 employees in collective bargaining. The last remaining union without a settlement, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), has agreed with the railroads to extend the “cooling off” period until Feb. 8, 2012, eliminating the immediate threat of a national rail strike. Read more.

WASHINGTON (Nov. 29, 2011) — The nation’s freight railroads have not reached agreements with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the American Train Dispatchers Association to extend the current “cooling off” period. The railroads’ proposed extension – which a third union, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, accepted – was contingent upon the acceptance by all three unions. Absent an extension of the “cooling off” period or tentative settlement agreements, these unions and the railroads will be free under the Railway Labor Act to exercise “self-help” at 12:01AM on Dec. 6. Read more.

WASHINGTON (Nov. 23, 2011) — The nation’s major freight railroads announced today they would join in an agreement with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes to extend negotiations beyond a “cooling off” period set to expire Dec. 6. The extension agreement is contingent upon similar agreements being reached with the American Train Dispatchers Association and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the two other unions that have not yet reached settlements with the railroads. All three agreements must be reached by November 29. Without securing such agreements with each of the three unions, there would be a continuing threat of a strike or other service disruptions after the current “cooling off” period expires. Read more.

WASHINGTON (November 17, 2011) -- The nation’s major freight railroads reached tentative collective bargaining agreements with four additional unions representing more than 11,000 employees: the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers; the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association; the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers; and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. Read more.

WASHINGTON (November 16, 2011) -- The nation’s major freight railroads have reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. This is the fourth agreement since a Presidential Emergency Board made settlement recommendations, and the sixth overall in this round of bargaining. Read more.