BLET contract ratification has secured a new four-year labor agreement with Alstom, the contract operator of Maryland Area Rail Commuter trains (MARC). Also, as reported by Trains.com, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said the deal addresses pay, work rules, and benefits.

BLET 5-year contract ratification: pay, health, and leave terms

BLET contract ratification and the Alstom MARC agreement

In addition, the union said the contract is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024. Meanwhile, under the four-year agreement with Alstom, pay increases are set at 3.25% in 2024, 3% in 2025, 4% in 2026, and 3% in 2027. In addition to the wage schedule, the BLET said in a press release that the agreement includes work rule improvements and health and welfare benefits.

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Austin Western Railroad votes to join the BLET

Separately, the union said train and engine service employees at Watco’s Austin Western Railroad voted to join the union. The BLET said the National Mediation Board certified the Austin Western vote in late February.

Austin Western has been a Watco property since 2007. The short line operates 184 track miles between Llano and Giddings, Texas, and interchanges with BNSF Railway and Union Pacific at McNeil, Texas. More details on the railroad are available at the Watco website.

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