Arlington, Va. (March 25, 2025) – The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) today announced that members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have voted to ratify a national collective bargaining agreement. This ratified national agreement is the seventh of the 2025 bargaining round, following the successful contract ratification by BMWED members last week.
“With a second national agreement ratified this month, freight rail bargaining continues to deliver real results for employees. IBEW members now join thousands of railroaders who have secured increased wages and enhanced benefits,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NRLC and the NCCC. “We thank IBEW’s leadership for working with us to reach a deal that provides certainty for employees and railroads.”
The ratified IBEW agreement follows the pattern set by dozens of local and national agreements that have been 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 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 employee 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
This week’s successful ratification brings the total number of ratified national contracts to seven following employees with SMART-MD, IBEW, NCFO, ATDA, TCU/BRC, and BMWED approving their agreements.
Since the exchange of Section 6 notices on Nov. 1, 2024, this 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 build on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round, which, taken together, are projected to increase wages for covered employees by nearly 50% (compounded) between 2020 and 2029.
Additional information about 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.
