BLET: Ballots in the Mail to Union Members at Three Short Lines

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) recently announced that a contract ratification vote is under way for tentative agreements with Utah Railway and Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad (M&NA), as well as Berkshire & Eastern Railroad (B&E), for which the union has reached a tentative contract with.

Utah Railway

Ballots were mailed this week to BLET members at the Utah Railway to vote on tentative on-property governing rates of pay, benefits and work rules for approximately 42 operating employees.

The five-year tentative agreement, BLET says, would provide wage increases totaling 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). It governs about 42 members. Prior to this tentative agreement, the last effective wage increase was January 1, 2015.

Ballots are due Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

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 conductors).

A Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary, the Utah Railway is a 59-mile short line railroad that operates throughout Utah. It interchanges with Class I railroads BNSF and Union Pacific (UP), both at Provo, Utah and Grand Junction, Colo.

M&NA

Ballots were mailed this week for BLET members at M&NA to vote on a tentative on-property agreement governing rates of pay, benefits and work rules for approximately 62 operating employees.

The five-year tentative deal, BLET says, would run through January 1, 2028, and would provide 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).

Contractual changes under the proposed agreement, BLET adds, would provide members with the ability to cash out up to 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.

Ballots are due Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

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.

A Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary, M&NA is a 490-mile short line railroad that operates throughout Missouri and Arkansas. It interchanges with three Class I railroads: BNSF at Aurora, Mo., Joplin, Mo., and Springfield, Mo.; Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) at Joplin, Mo.; and Union Pacific at Kansas City, Mo., and Newport, Ark.

B&E

Ballots were mailed this week to BLET members at B&E regarding a tentative agreement that governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for approximately 30 members.

Some of the proposed contractual improvements include:

• 13% hourly rate of pay increase.
• Accelerated progression of Entry Level rates of pay, so engineers receive the 100% rate of pay much sooner.
• Availability of a 401(k) savings plan, with 100% company match up to 4% of an engineer’s yearly compensation.
• Pay rates at one and a half times the hourly rate on holidays, in addition to holiday allowance.

Ballots are due Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Members governed by this proposed agreement belong to either BLET Division 112 or Division 191. They are represented by General Chairman Kevin Moore of the STR-DH-SLR-NECR-CSO-NYW-B&E General Committee of Adjustment. During negotiations, the BLET was represented by Brother Moore, National Vice President Randy Fannon, and Division 112 Local Chairman Nicholas Paige.

The B&E is a short line railroad in New England and New York, using tracks owned by Pan Am Southern and running between Mechanicville, N.Y., and Ayer, Mass. Pan Am Southern is jointly owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS).