The railroads are Belt Railway Company of Chicago; BNSF; CN; Consolidated Rail Corporation; Canadian Pacific Kansas City (health and welfare only); Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company; Longview Switching Company; Norfolk Southern; Metra (health and welfare only); and Portland Terminal Railroad Company, according to the union.
The tentative agreement, which is subject to ratification, is consistent with the terms set by dozens of local and national contracts already ratified as part of the 2025 bargaining round, including those signed off by employees represented by ATDA, BMWED, BRC, IAM, IBB, IBEW, NCFO, SMART-MD, SMART-TD, and TCU, according to the NCCC. The contracts run through Dec. 31, 2029.
Upon ratification of the NCCC-BLET agreement, nearly 95% of the union-represented freight rail employees at railroads participating in national handling will be covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides:
- “Wage increases of 18.8% over five years. Based on current inflation projections, this increase will translate to real wage growth for covered railroaders, along with pay certainty for the life of the contract.
- “Enhancements to world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employee contribution rate. Despite rising healthcare costs nationally, employees’ 2026 health care premiums will remain below 2023 levels at about $308/month. This is well below the national average of more than $500/month for employer-provided family coverage.
- “Access to more paid vacation time for employees earlier in their careers.”
BLET reported that its National Division is planning a series of in-person and Zoom town hall meetings to discuss the tentative agreement with members. A copy of the TA will also be available in the Members’ Area of the BLET website.
BLET bylaws require a 15-day question-and-answer period, which began on Nov. 3, according to the union. BLET General Chairmen will have 15 days to submit questions to the National President’s office; those questions will be consolidated into a single document, and the BLET’s National Wage Team will return to the bargaining table with the carriers to mutually agree upon the answers to those questions, the union reported. Once the Q&A session is complete, it said, the National Division will distribute full tentative agreement details and ballots to the affected BLET members around mid-November, and ballots will be counted on Dec. 30, 2025.
“Since taking over as President and Lead Negotiator in May, my goal has been to bring greater transparency and accountability to the bargaining process,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said. “The BLET Wage Team worked diligently to find a path forward that our members could support. This tentative agreement delivers meaningful wage growth without any concessions to work rules. As a membership-driven organization, it is now up to our members to determine the path ahead.”
“This tentative agreement is a resounding endorsement of the pattern agreement’s tremendous value for rail employees,” NCCC and National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) Chairman Jeff Rodgers said. “With nearly all unions now aligned, it is clear that this bargaining round has been one of the most productive in modern freight rail history. We thank BLET and all of the unions’ leadership teams for their engagement and commitment to the national bargaining process. These agreements provide lasting benefits for employees while ensuring the long-term strength of the freight rail industry.”
The 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*.
Background
The 2025 national bargaining round began with the exchange of Section 6 notices on Nov. 1, 2024. Early local agreements between several rail carriers and unions set the stage for progress, “establishing a clear pattern that addresses employee needs while strengthening the freight rail industry’s ability to provide safe, reliable service,” according to the NRLC. “The 18.8% wage increase in the pattern agreements builds on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round,” it said. “Taken together, these wage increases represent a nearly 50% (compounded) wage increase for covered employees between 2020 and 2029. Under these agreements, average annual wages will rise to $135,000 and average total compensation will increase to $190,000.”
Download below a list of carriers and unions participating in national handling. Carriers that reached an early local agreement covering a particular craft do not participate in national bargaining with respect to that craft. Additional information about the bargaining round is available at RailNegotiations.com.
* 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 Employes (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).
