The nation’s freight railroads have reached tentative agreements with the Transportation Communications Union/IAM, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Together, these unions represent more than 15,000 rail employees.

The tentative agreements are the first to be reached since Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) No. 250 issued settlement recommendations on August 16. The tentative agreements implement the PEB’s recommendations, which include a 24 percent wage increase during the five-year period from 2020 through 2024 — with a 14.1 percent wage increase effective immediately — and five annual $1,000 lump sum payments. A portion of the wage increases and lump sum payments are retroactive and will be paid out promptly upon ratification of the agreements by the unions’ membership.

The NCCC would like to thank these unions’ leadership teams for their professionalism and efforts during the bargaining process.

It is critical for all stakeholders – including customers, employees, and the public – that all parties promptly resolve the negotiations and prevent service disruptions. Accordingly, we look forward to additional discussions with the unions that have not yet reached tentative agreements and will continue seeking voluntary agreements based on the PEB’s recommendations.

Under the Railway Labor Act, the carriers and the unions remain in a 30-day “cooling off” period. Voluntary settlements with all unions would avert any potential disruptions to rail service after the cooling off period ends at 12:01 a.m. on September 16.

-via Press Release