BRS, Amtrak Ratify New Collective Bargaining Agreement

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) on May 5 ratified a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement with Amtrak following nearly 18 months of negotiations.

According to BRS, under the agreement, which was tentatively reached back in March, members working at Amtrak will receive general wage increases of 28.5% with full retroactivity to 2022 (compounded 32.3% over the term of the agreement). Additionally, the agreement includes frozen monthly health and welfare cost sharing portions for employees under the Amplan II plan and monthly cost sharing decreases for employees under the Amplan III throughout the term of the agreement with improvements in dental coverage, vasectomy coverage, fertility treatment, and hearing aid coverage.

A Paid Time Off (PTO) plan was also negotiated to replace the National Vacation Agreement, which provides for significantly more time off with less years of service and an accrual method that permits an employee to accrue PTO even if they do not meet the 100-day threshold of the National Vacation Agreement. Additionally, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was added as a holiday, improvements were made to Bereavement Leave, the incentive allowance for certain Gang positions was increased from $0.65 per hour to $1.20 per hour, and a Paid Parental Leave Rule was negotiated.

The Paid Parental Leave Rule is the third Paid Parental Leave Agreement negotiated for BRS members and provides the most benefits with up to 10 weeks of paid time off, which can be taken in two-week increments, for up to one year from the date of birth or adoption.