Arlington, Va. (April 25, 2025) – The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) today announced that members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) have voted to ratify a national collective bargaining agreement. This contract with IBB is the eighth national agreement ratified in the 2025 bargaining round.
“This ratification by IBB members sends another clear signal that freight rail employees see the value of these pattern agreements,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NRLC and the NCCC. “We thank IBB’s leadership for their collaboration as we advance our shared goal of a stronger future for employees and the industry.”
The ratified IBB agreement follows the pattern set by dozens of local and national agreements ratified as part of the 2025 bargaining round.
The terms of these pattern agreements provide:
- Wage increases of 18.8% over five years. Based on current inflation projections, this increase will translate to real wage growth for covered railroaders along with pay certainty for the life of the contract.
- Enhancements to world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employees’ contribution rate. Employees’ 2025 health care premiums have decreased to about $277/month, well below the national average of more than $500/month for employer-provided family coverage.
- Access to more paid vacation time for employees earlier in their careers.
Continued Momentum in National Bargaining
With this successful ratification vote, IBB employees join employees represented by IBEW, BMWED, SMART-MD, ATDA, NCFO, TCU, and BRC in approving national collective bargaining agreements covering the period through December 31, 2029.
Since the exchange of Section 6 notices on Nov. 1, 2024, the 2025 bargaining round has seen historic collaboration between freight rail carriers and unions. Early local agreements set the stage for this momentum, establishing a clear pattern that prioritizes employee needs while strengthening the freight rail industry’s ability to provide safe, reliable service.
The 18.8% wage increase in these pattern agreements builds on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round. Taken together, these wage increases represent a nearly 50% (compounded) wage increase for covered employees between 2020 and 2029.
Additional information about the status of the bargaining round is available at RailNegotiations.com.
About the National Railway Labor Conference
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.
