BRS tentative agreement awaits member vote

A tentative national agreement has been reached between the National Carriers’ Conference Committee and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, bringing the signal workers union into the industry contract pattern already ratified by members of 11 other rail unions.

The NCCC serves as the bargaining arm of the National Railway Labor Conference⁠. The NRLC represents all U.S. Class I railroads and many smaller passenger and freight railroads, while the NCCC negotiates labor contracts with 12 rail unions on behalf of its member railroads.

Tentative national agreement awaits BRS ratification

The proposed five-year agreement still requires ratification by BRS members. According to NCCC officials, it provides for 18.8% wage increases⁠, improved health and welfare benefits with no rise in employee contribution rates, and earlier access to more paid vacation time for employees in the earlier stages of their careers.

If approved, the railroad signal workers union agreement would run through Dec. 31, 2029. It would raise average annual wages to $135,000 and average total compensation to $190,000.

Context

The agreement is part of the current national bargaining round between rail carriers and labor unions. The NRLC said the tentative BRS deal mirrors agreements already ratified by employees represented by 11 other unions, including BLET, SMART-TD, IBEW and TCU. If BRS members approve it, the current national bargaining round would close. The 18.8% wage increase also follows the 24% increase from the 2022 bargaining round, bringing covered employees to nearly 50% compounded wage growth between 2020 and 2029.

Contract terms through 2029

Jeff Rodgers, chair of the NRLC and the NCCC, said:

“With this agreement, every union-represented freight railroad employee in National Handling will have a contract that delivers real wage growth, strong benefits and certainty through the end of the decade,”