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The National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) is an association of all U.S. Class I freight railroads and many smaller freight and passenger lines.
Through its National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), the NRLC represents most of its members in national (multi-employer) negotiations with the twelve major rail labor organizations. The most recent round, which concluded in late 2022, covered more than 30 railroads and more than 100,000 employees.
The NCCC is chaired by the Chairman of the NRLC and includes the senior labor relations executives of 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.
In addition to national bargaining, the NRLC represents the railroads in the administration of the multi-billion dollar industry-wide health and welfare plans for rail employees; on rail labor issues before federal agencies, congressional committees and the courts; and in labor arbitration cases. It also provides training programs for rail management.
The NRLC was formed in 1963 when three regional railroad conferences formed a single, nationwide entity. The organization has been based in the Washington, D.C. area since 1968.
Arlington, Va. (Nov. 14, 2024) – Today, the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) reached its...
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Arlington, Va. (Nov. 13, 2024) – Today, the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) reached tentative...
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Arlington, Va. (Nov. 1, 2024) – The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which represents the...
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Arlington, Va. (Oct. 29, 2024) – The National Railway Labor Conference today announced the appointment...
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Get the latest facts and figures about jobs, employment, and bargaining in the freight rail industry.
Freight rail jobs offer an unmatched blend of competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities. Many people turn their freight rail jobs into careers and some freight rail families stay with the industry for generations.
With another annual pay increase effective July 1, 2024, most Class I rail employees will earn between $90,000 to $140,000 in annual wages (depending on their craft), with an average of $111,000. The value of the total Class I railroad employee annual pay and benefit package (accounting for health, welfare and retirement programs) will now range from about $135,000 to almost $190,000, with the average growing to $160,000.
Rail employees’ total compensation packages include platinum-level health care benefits and a secure railroad retirement benefit that provides nearly twice as much retirement income as the average Social Security payment. Rail employees can cover their entire family for about $300 a month, far less than the almost $550 monthly average cost of employer-provided family coverage reported in the most recent Kaiser Family Foundation employee benefits survey.
Freight railroads also offer hundreds of career paths and opportunities for everyone – from high school graduates to those with professional degrees. Railroading often runs in the family – many employees have generations of industry veterans in their families and are pursuing their own lifelong railroading careers with the average tenure being at least twice that of comparable industries and occupations, a reflection of the rewarding opportunities railroad careers provide.
