The 2025 bargaining round has seen early, significant progress, with nearly half of all union-represented employees at railroads participating in national handling already covered by ratified agreements that follow a consistent, industry-wide pattern.
While the timing of agreements this early in the national bargaining round is noteworthy, this progress reflects the long history of productive collaboration between rail carriers and unions, resulting in mutually beneficial agreements that address employee priorities and keep the industry running.
This round, some carriers (including those represented by the NCCC) and unions proactively reached and ratified agreements early in the bargaining process, including both local and national agreements. These early local agreements don’t change the steps of the national bargaining process, but they do establish a pattern that provides a clear framework for resolving the national round, addressing key employee priorities and providing wage increases, and providing enhanced health benefits and earlier access to paid time off.
