News

Freight Railroads Signal Start of New Bargaining Round

November 2, 2009

The nation’s major freight railroads today signaled the start of a new round of bargaining with the 13 rail unions, saying the round offers a fresh opportunity to lay the foundation for the industry’s future success.

Freight Railroads Name New Chief Labor Negotiator

December 18, 2008

The nation’s major freight railroads today announced the appointment of A. Kenneth Gradia as chairman of the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC). He will succeed Robert F. Allen, who is stepping down after 15 years as the railroads’ chief negotiator and will remain as a senior advisor until his retirement next July.

Key Issues

Health Care Costs
Railroads and labor will need to work together to better manage and balance the increasing cost of health care; without any changes in the current plan, by 2014 railroads will pay a projected $2.4 billion to provide health care coverage – that’s a 65% increase from what they pay today.

Current Status

The current round of bargaining, involving 31 of the nation’s freight railroads, including almost all of the nation’s Class I railroads, and 13 major unions representing more than 122,000 rail employees, began on January 1, 2010.