More than two dozen Florida Gulf & Atlantic (FGA) railroaders who earlier this year voted to join the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have ratified their first union contract.
The five-year agreement formally establishes a seniority roster with prior rights protections; grievance procedures and union protection from discipline; guaranteed extra boards with rest days; a process to promote engineers; a formal training process; paid personal time off; and other work rule and safety improvements, BLET reported Nov. 25. The contract also provides general wage increases of 17% (18.3% compounded) and establishes the ability for all T&E employees to earn overtime wages.
“With ratification of their first-ever BLET contract, our FGA members now have an established policy, structure and guidelines to hold management accountable,” said BLET National Vice President Randy Fannon, who spearheaded the BLET organizing and contract negotiating efforts at FGA, with assistance from Robert Cross, Grievance Chair for FGA members.
A tentative agreement was reached in early November; voting ballots to ratify it were due Nov. 21.
FGA, a Pinsly Railroad Company subsidiary, operates on 430 miles of track, running east/west along the I-10 corridor between Baldwin, Fla., near Jacksonville, to Pensacola, Fla., with a branch line that runs between Tallahassee, Fla., and Attapulgus, Ga. (see map, top). Its union members belong to BLET Division 16, the short line division.
