Arlington, Va. (Oct. 29, 2024) – The National Railway Labor Conference today announced the appointment of Jeffrey F. Rodgers as Chairman, effective Friday, Nov. 1. Rodgers has served as Vice Chairman of the NRLC since 2009, helping lead the industry through the last three rounds of national collective bargaining.
“I am honored to accept the role of NRLC Chairman and look forward to serving the freight rail industry,” said Rodgers. “I am encouraged by the early progress several carriers and unions have made to reach prompt local collective bargaining agreements that address employees’ priority issues on mutually agreeable terms. I look forward to building on that progress as national bargaining begins next month.”
Rodgers will become the eighth chairman of the NRLC, succeeding Brendan M. Branon, who has served as chairman since 2019. Before joining the freight rail industry, Rodgers held leadership positions in the airline industry and as an officer in the United States Air Force.
“The industry looks forward to Jeff’s seasoned leadership in the upcoming national bargaining round,” said Joe Hinrichs, CSX President and CEO, on behalf of the NRLC Executive Board. “We also extend our appreciation to Brendan for his contributions to the NRLC and his work to set our industry and our people up for success. He has been a staunch representative and advocate for America’s freight railroads, and we wish him the best in his next endeavor.”
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The National Railway Labor Conference is an association of all major (Class I) U.S. freight railroads and many smaller lines. Through its National Carriers’ Conference Committee, the NRLC represents freight railroads in national, multi-employer collective bargaining with the 12 major rail unions.
The Executive Board of the NRLC includes the Chief Executive Officers of the following railroads: BNSF Railway Company, CSX Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Union Pacific Railroad, and the U.S. railroads owned directly or indirectly by Canadian National. The NCCC consists of the senior labor relations executives from the same railroads.
