NCCC Reaches Tentative Agreements With SMART-TD, Yardmasters
The tentative agreement with the larger SMART-TD group, which includes conductors, is subject to member ratification and 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. Employees’ 2025 health care premiums have decreased to about $277/month, 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.”
“This tentative national agreement with SMART-TD will extend the benefits established by the industrywide pattern—including wage increases and improved benefits—to thousands more freight rail employees,” said Jeff Rodgers, Chairman of the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) and NCCC. “This represents a substantial advancement, and we value SMART-TD’s participation in a productive process that is expected to benefit rail employees, foster high-quality careers, and contribute to the continued success of America’s freight rail sector.”
The separate agreement with Yardmasters provides four consecutive annual general wage increases:
- July 1, 2025 – 4.0% increase
- July 1, 2026 – 3.75% increase
- July 1, 2027 – 3.5% increase
- July 1, 2028 – 3.25% increase
- July 1, 2029 – 3.00% increase
By the end of the agreement, Yardmasters will see a compounded increase exceeding 18.75%, “strengthening economic security and reflecting the essential work performed every day in yards across the country,” SMART-TD noted.
“Quality of life for our Yardmasters was at the heart of everything we fought for in this Tentative Agreement,” explained SMART-TD’s Alternate Vice President Chris Bartz, who is an active Yardmaster on the CPKC railroad. “Everyone in this union knows that historically, the youngest of our craft have been on call seven days a week, with no rest days at all when assigned to the guaranteed extra board. This provision finally rights decades of wrongs against our Yardmasters.
“By securing guaranteed rest days, we’re giving members the ability to plan for time off without worrying about the Carrier calling. This is something that has been a very long time coming. Just as importantly, we won language that requires the Carriers to come to the table to negotiate sick days on a clear timeline. Our goal is to ensure Yardmasters achieve the same protections as our T&E brothers and sisters,” Batz added.
For the first time, Yardmasters will have guaranteed rest days on the extra board built into their schedules. This, the union says, “ensures members receive predictable time away from work to recharge, spend time with family, and reduce fatigue.”
The tentative agreement also provides a path for the negotiation of paid sick days, “a major step forward in recognizing the need for Yardmasters to recover,” according to the union. This provision of the tentative agreement “creates a structured negotiation between the carriers, and SMART-TD aimed at bringing the same sick day structure our T&E members have to our Yardmasters,” the union said.
Quality of life improvements in the tentative agreement extends into wins on vacation time, as well, with SMART-TD having secured additional vacation time for its Yardmasters, as well as accelerated accrual of vacation time for newer members.
The tentative SMART-TD and Yardmasters agreements “continue the steady progress of the 2025 bargaining round, mirroring national agreements already ratified by nine other unions,” including IBEW, BMWED, SMART-MD, IAM, IBB, ATDA, NCFO, TCU and BRC, covering the period through Dec. 31, 2029. These national agreements are in addition to dozens of local agreements reached and ratified this round.
Upon ratification of these agreements and a separate tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen (BRS), more than 80% of the union-represented freight rail employees at railroads participating in national handling will be covered by a ratified collective bargaining agreement that follows the industry-wide pattern, SMART-TD said.
More information is available here.
