The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) recently reached tentative national collective bargaining agreements with the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Mechanical Department (SMART-MD). Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner provides commentary.
NCCC on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 reported that it reached these agreements on behalf of NCCC-represented railroads that had not previously reached local pattern agreements with these unions. (The National Railway Labor Conference [NRLC] is an association representing all U.S. Class I railroads and many smaller freight and passenger lines. Through its NCCC, NRLC leads national negotiations with the 12 major rail labor organizations*.)
The tentative national agreements with TCU, BRC and SMART-MD—announced shortly after the parties exchanged section 6 notices on Nov. 1 to open the national bargaining round—“reflect terms consistent with … pattern agreements and are subject to member ratification on the railroads where they apply,” according to NCCC.
“The NCCC is pleased to announce the tentative national agreement with SMART-MD,” NRLC and NCCC Chairman Jeff Rodgers said Nov. 14. “This agreement—the third reached just this week [week of Nov. 10]—continues to reinforce the pattern set by early agreements between carriers and unions at the local level, which will help guide prompt, stable outcomes for the entire industry.”
“I am proud of the progress we continue to make for our members,” TCU National President Artie Maratea said Nov. 13. “Having a contract in place before the current contract expires is unheard of in the rail industry. TCU and BRC members at CSX, NS, BNSF, and various other properties have recently ratified identical agreements. This agreement with NCCC secures a solid contract for hundreds more of our hard-working members. This agreement will ensure a rock solid contract for our members despite a changing political landscape and I look forward to putting this out for ratification. While this is a huge step towards getting this round of bargaining wrapped up, we are not done. We still have work to do with a few carriers and we expect them to do the right thing by our members too. We look forward to meeting them at the bargaining table soon.”
Prior to the start of the round, several NCCC member railroads reached local agreements with a number of rail labor organizations that NCCC said:
- “Increase pay by 18.8% over five years, and based on current inflation projections, will translate to real wage growth for covered railroaders along with pay certainty for the life of the contract.
- “Enhance world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employee contribution rate. In 2025, health care premiums will decrease to about $277/month, well below the national average of more than $500/month for employer-provided family coverage.
- “Give employees access to more paid vacation time earlier in their careers.”
“The new local agreements, which already cover thousands of rail employees, build on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round,” NCCC reported. “Taken together, wages for employees covered by these agreements will increase by nearly 50% (compounded) from 2020-2029. The NCCC’s Section 6 notices propose early resolution of the national bargaining round based on the pattern established by these local agreements.”
Download below a list of carriers and unions participating in national handling. According to NCCC, carriers and unions that have reached a ratified agreement to resolve the bargaining round for a particular craft do not participate in national handling with respect to that craft.
Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor and “Understanding the Railway Labor Act” author Frank N. Wilner commented:
“In multi-employer, multi-union collective bargaining, patterns are the sine qua non of finalizing a negotiating round. Patterns now have been set with multiple rail unions on multiple individual properties and even on a national level with a couple.
“To the extent other tentative agreements are voted down by members (as has been the case with SMART’s Transportation Division on some individual properties) or not reached anywhere at all (as with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen), the outliers can be expected to be parked in mediation until the cows come home. Or, if released, will find a more inhospitable President and Congress than usual if they attempt a work stoppage.
“Those refusing to recognize the meaning of patterns and the mood of the Executive and legislative branches when it comes to economy-damaging rail work stoppages, need only remember that in 2022, President Biden, self-proclaimed as ‘the most union-friendly President in American History,’ signed into law legislation preventing any economy-damaging work stoppage. Next year’s Republican controlled House and Senate will be in less of a mood to upset the President-elect’s intent to avoid even the slightest negative blip in economic activity.”
* The unions are: International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Div. (SMART-TD & SMART-TD-YDM); Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE); Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET); Brotherhood Railway Carmen (BRC); Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS); International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); Transportation Communications International Union (TCU); National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO); American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA); International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART); and International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers (IBB).
