What’s the status of the 2025 bargaining round?
The 2025 round of national handling was the fastest in decades, closing after only 18 months on July 6, 2026.
What is pattern bargaining? Why is it important?
Pattern bargaining is a foundational principle of Railway Labor Act negotiations. Once a pattern is set, adherence to the pattern promotes consistency for employees, operational certainty for carriers, and long-term stability for the industry. In the 2025 round, dozens of national and local agreements with consistent terms established an early pattern. The terms of the […]
What is the Railway Labor Act?
The Railway Labor Act (RLA) is a federal statute that has governed collective bargaining between freight railroads and rail labor organizations for nearly 100 years. Unlike agreements in most other industries, rail labor agreements under the RLA remain effective indefinitely until changed by mutual agreement. The RLA includes a structured process for good faith bargaining […]
How long does the bargaining process take?
The duration of the process can vary. Some agreements are reached quickly, while others may go through each stage of the RLA process. The 2025 round of national handling was the fastest in decades, closing in only 18 months.
What is the difference between national and local bargaining?
“National” agreements between multiple freight railroads and a labor union typically address significant issues such as wages, health benefits and industry-wide work rules. These agreements are negotiated on a multi-employer basis and apply to all employees represented by the signatory carriers and union. “Local” agreements only apply to employees in one craft at a specific […]
What is a “Section 6 notice?” What does it mean for employees?
Under the RLA, collective bargaining agreements do not expire and instead have “reopener” dates. On and after those dates, parties can start new negotiations by exchanging “Section 6 notices,” so-named because the notices are issued pursuant to Section 6 of the RLA. These notices outline proposed contractual changes and mark the beginning of the collective […]
When did national negotiations start and end?
The national collective bargaining agreements between freight rail carriers and rail unions reopened for negotiation starting on November 1, 2024. At that time, “Section 6 notices” were exchanged and bargaining began. Bargaining closed when the last participating union announced its ratification on July 6, 2026.
Who are the parties involved in national railroad bargaining?
The most recent round of bargaining included more than 30 railroads represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee and 12 rail unions: International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Div. (SMART-TD & SMART-TD-YDM) Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET) Brotherhood Railway Carmen […]
What are the key terms included in the pattern bargaining agreements?
Key highlights of these pattern agreements included: Wage increases of 18.8% over five years. Based on current inflation projections, this increase will translate to real wage growth for covered railroaders and pay certainty for the life of the contract. Enhancements to world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employee contribution rate. In 2026, health care premiums […]
Are wage increases included in the pattern agreements?
Yes. Class I railroad employees have long been among the highest-paid workers across U.S. industries. The 2022 national agreements resulted in a historic 24% wage increase over five years (2020–2024). Today, most Class I rail employees earn between $90,000 to $140,000 in annual wages (depending on their craft), with an average annual wage of $111,000. […]
