Thirty-seven workers at the Huron and Eastern Railway (HESR) and the Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR), represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) of the Teamsters Rail Conference, have ratified new contracts.
In Michigan, 24 Teamsters at HESR, a Genesee & Wyoming (G&W)-owned short line that operates nearly 400 miles of track along Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron, secured a five-year contract, increasing their wages by 19.5%, as well as improving their vacation time.
In Indiana, 13 Teamsters at ISRR, a G&W-owned short line that handles coal and agricultural commodities across 196 miles of track, ratified their own five-year contract. Workers will see their wages raised by 22.5% over the life of the agreement in addition to receiving a new parental leave benefit, according to the union.
“These workers fought long and hard to secure these improvements,” said BLET President Eddie Hall. “I can’t say enough how proud I am of what they have accomplished.”
