IBEW votes to ratify new collective labor agreement with BNSF Railway

Roughly 20% of railroad's union workforce now covered under ratified labor agreements

FORT WORTH, TEXAS, - BNSF Railway, in partnership with The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), announced today that members of the labor union have voted to ratify a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Class I railroad.

The agreement gives covered employees certainty about upcoming enhancements to their pay, health care, and vacation.

"This achievement, following on ratified agreements with many of our other union partners, underscores our commitment to ensure continued exceptional service for our customers," said BNSF President & CEO Katie Farmer. "Our success as a railroad is built upon the collaboration and mutual respect of our hard-working railroaders, and we look forward to taking this next step forward together."

The tentative agreement provides a 3.5-percent average wage increase per year over the next five years. It also offers railroaders more vacation earlier in their career and meaningful enhancements to an already robust suite of health care benefits.

"We are pleased to announce the tentative agreement, signed in October between the IBEW and BNSF has been ratified by a strong majority. The improvements to the contract are historical in nature as it didn't require any recommendation from a PEB and was settled prior to the end of the previous contract, said IBEW General Chairman Jeff Alred. "We look forward to working with BNSF in the future."

BNSF has also reached ratified agreements with members of The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), The National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO), The International Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department (MD), The American Trains Dispatchers Association (ATDA), The Transportation and Communications Union (TCU) and Brotherhood Railway Carmen (BRC).

Contact:
Lena Kent
General Director, Public Affairs
[email protected]