Arlington, Va. (Nov. 25, 2024) – Today, the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) announced a tentative agreement with the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO)—the fourth national agreement this month, following similar agreements with the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Mechanical Department (SMART-MD).
The NCCC reached these national agreements, which are subject to member ratification on the railroads where they apply, on behalf of represented railroads that had not previously reached local agreements with these unions.
“With four tentative agreements within the first 20 days of the national bargaining round, we’re seeing strong momentum in our national bargaining efforts,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NRLC and the NCCC. “The NCCC’s tentative agreement with NFCO follows the pattern established by early local agreements between carriers and unions and reflects the industry’s commitment to promptly addressing employee priorities.”
Agreements Reinforce a Pattern for Resolution of the National Bargaining Round
National bargaining began with the exchange of Section 6 notices Nov. 1. In recent months, many NCCC member railroads reached local agreements with several rail labor organizations. The NCCC’s Section 6 notices propose prompt resolution of the national bargaining round based on the pattern established by these local agreements, with terms that would:
- Increase pay by 18.8% over five years
- Enhance world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employee contribution rate
- Give employees access to more paid vacation time earlier in their careers
The new local agreements, which already cover thousands of rail employees, build on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round. Wages for employees covered by these agreements will increase by nearly 50% (compounded) from 2020–2029.
The NCCC’s goal is to negotiate national agreements that build on the freight rail industry’s core strengths: safe, high-paying jobs for employees with professional growth opportunities, affordable and reliable service for customers, and ongoing reinvestment in infrastructure and innovation.
A list of carriers and unions participating in national handling can be found here. Carriers and unions that have reached a ratified agreement to resolve the bargaining round for a particular craft do not participate in national handling with respect to that craft. Additional information about the bargaining round can be found at railnegotiations.com.
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The National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) is an association representing all U.S. Class I freight railroads — and many smaller freight and passenger lines. Through its NCCC, the NRLC leads national negotiations with the 12 major rail labor organizations.
