BLET Ratifies New Contracts With Two G&W Properties

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has ratified new contracts with Genesee & Wyoming’s (G&W) Utah Railway and Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad (M&NA).

On March 20, BLET ratified a new five-year contract with the Utah Railway, a G&W subsidiary. The agreement, which governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for approximately 42 operating employees, was ratified by a vote of 30-6.

According to BLET, general wage increases will total 41% (46.7% compounded) over the life of the contract (23% at signing; 5% in 2025; 4% in 2026; 4% in 2027; and 5% in 2028). Signing bonuses will be paid to employees based on length of service (10+ years of service will receive $19,000; 4+ years of service will receive $7,500; 1+ year of service will receive $1,500). Prior to this agreement, the last effective wage increase was January 1, 2015.

 The Utah Railway members belong to Division 221 (Salt Lake City, Utah). The negotiating team consisted of BLET General Chairman J.E. Hamilton, National Vice President Garrison Best, and Division 221 Local Chairmen Casey Ostler (representing engineers) and Jason Wiseman (representing trainmen).

Utah Railway is a 59-mile short line railroad that operates throughout Utah. It interchanges with Class I railroads BNSF and Union Pacific.

On March 20, a majority of BLET members also ratified a new contract with M&NA, another G&W subsidiary, by a vote of 42-10. The on-property agreement governs rates of pay, benefits, and work rules for approximately 57 operating employees.

The five-year deal runs through January 1, 2028, and provides general wage increases of 25% (27.5% compounded) over the life of the contract (7% at signing in 2024; 5% in 2025, 5% in 2026, 4% in 2027, and 4% in 2028).

 According to BLET, the new contract provides members with the ability to cash 40 hours of scheduled vacation each calendar year, eliminating the ability to carry over unused vacation days. Employees are also allowed to accumulate up to 12 flex days. Upon reaching 13 days, an automatic trigger payment of one day would return the employee to the maximum of 12 days.

The M&NA members belong to Division 178 (Carthage, Mo.) and Division 116 (Batesville, Ark.) and are a part of the BLET’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe (former STL&SF) General Committee of Adjustment. The negotiating team consisted of National Vice President Billy Lyons, General Chairman Jeff Thurman, Vice General Chairman Kyle King, and Division 178 Local Chairman Cody Potter, and Division 116 Local Chairman Jason Seay.

M&NA is a 490-mile short line railroad that operates throughout Missouri and Arkansas. It interchanges with three Class I railroads: BNSF, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), and Union Pacific.