Teamsters at Three Railroads Ratify Contracts
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
(Colorado and Wyoming Railway)
Fifty-one workers at three railroads represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the Teamsters Rail Conference have ratified new contracts.
On Dec. 4, Teamsters at the Colorado and Wyoming Railway unanimously voted to ratify a contract securing higher wages and improvements to vacation, bereavement and personal leave, and holidays.
Building on this victory, Teamsters members of the BMWED’s American Rail System Federation (ARSF) from the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad and the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) ratified their own new contracts.
These groups of workers secured wage increases of 18.77% over the life of the contracts, as well as improvements to their health and welfare benefits, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
“It was truly an honor to see the negotiation process work so well,” said Timothy Bunch, General Chairman of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Frisco System Federation of the BMWED. “The members were heavily involved throughout the entire process and the success of this approach is reflected by our 100% ratification vote.”
“The contracts on both of these properties were achieved by the engagement, dedication, and involvement of our members,” said Johnny Long, General Chairman of the ARSF. “The members on both carriers understood their issues and demanded their voices be heard at the bargaining table. I am grateful for the opportunity to stand with them and deliver two contracts that will provide stability over the next five years.”
