USA: A tentative five-year Illinois Railway labor agreement offers retroactive pay, bonuses and wage increases, with BLET members set to have their ballots counted on August 14.

Illinois Railway Labor Agreement Goes to Vote
Eligible Illinois Railway members who have not received a ballot by August 5 should call the National Division. Photo by Danny Higgins

What the proposed contract would change?

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said members are voting on a contract that would run through 2029. If ratified, it would provide full retroactive pay from March 2025 and a $1,000 signing bonus.

General wage increases would apply over the five-year term, although the union’s announcement did not specify the annual percentages. The tentative agreement would also establish a $250 attendance bonus for each quarter.

BLET said the package contains no concessions. The notice did not state how many Illinois Railway employees are covered by the vote.

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August 14 vote and the Illinois Railway network

Ballots were mailed to eligible BLET members in the week before the August 5 announcement and are scheduled to be tabulated on August 14. The negotiating team comprised General Chairman Dan Wells, Vice General Chairman Dustin Stadie, National Vice President Randy Fannon and recently retired National Vice President Pete Semenek.

Illinois Railway is an OmniTRAX subsidiary operating 113 miles in north-central Illinois. According to the operator’s official profile, four line segments serve Rockford, Peru, LaSalle and Ottawa, providing local freight, contract switching, railcar storage and transloading services.

The short line handles customers in sand mining, metals, chemicals, plastics, fertilizer, forest products, cement products and minerals. Its network interchanges with BNSF, CN, CPKC, CSX and Union Pacific at locations across Illinois.

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