IBEW is one of 11 unions that have ratified agreements with UP; they cover 12 crafts and represent 46% of the Class I railroad’s craft employees.* International Association of Sheet, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) members ratified their agreement with UP earlier this month.
The ratified agreements cover five-year terms and include wage increases, effective July 1, 2025, along with additional vacation time, health and welfare benefits, and work rule changes, according to UP.
Specifically, IBEW said its agreement “delivers meaningful improvements” such as:
- “Annual general wage increases totaling 18.77% over five years, ensuring members see real financial growth over the life of the contract.
- “General wage increases now added to current pay differentials.
- “Expanded paid bereavement leave to include grandparents and grandkids.
- “The ability to carry over up to 32 hours paid sick time annually, with a maximum of 160 hours with cash-out options at the end of each calendar year.
- “Health and welfare improvements at no additional cost to members H&W monthly contributions.
- “New-hire employees will now receive paid vacation days, while tenured employees will benefit from faster qualification and accrual of vacation time.
- “Starting in 2026, members will also have access to a new optional high-deductible health plan with lower monthly premiums. Additionally, employees who opt out of health insurance coverage will receive an increased monthly payment of $200.”
IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper commented that the agreement “reflects a new era of partnership and progress that recognizes the important contributions of IBEW-represented railroad electricians while embracing the challenges and opportunities of the future.” It also “underscores the power of solidarity and the value of union labor in shaping a more secure and equitable workplace,” and “is a testament to the strength of collective bargaining and the unity of IBEW members,” he noted.
“I want to thank all our union partners for their work in reaching these agreements,” UP CEO Jim Vena said during the railroad’s announcement this month. “It’s important we reward our employees without delay and acknowledge their contribution providing the safe, reliable service we sold our customers.”
In a related development, the National Carriers Conference Committee and IBEW members earlier this year voted to ratify a national collective bargaining agreement.
* UP has ratified agreements with:
- National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO)
- The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB)
- The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
- IBEW
- The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE)
- Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
- The Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC) division
- International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
- Iron Workers (IW; International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers)
- SMART-MD
- The American Railway and Airway Supervisors Association (ARASA)
