Arlington, Va. (Dec. 6, 2024) – Today, the National Carriers Conference (NCCC) reached a tentative national agreement with the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), one of several agreements recently reached as part of the ongoing national bargaining round.
The agreement with ATDA reflects terms consistent with the pattern established by earlier local agreements and is subject to member ratification.
“This agreement marks another step forward in our ongoing work to address employee priorities and strengthen the freight rail industry,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NRLC and NCCC. “Our goal in these negotiations is to build on the industry’s core strengths: safe, high-paying jobs for employees, reliable service for customers, and ongoing reinvestment in infrastructure and innovation. The agreement with ATDA helps achieve these goals and builds on the pattern established by earlier agreements, laying the groundwork for further progress.”
About the National Bargaining Round
National bargaining has already seen significant progress following its opening with the exchange of Section 6 notices on Nov. 1, 2024. Building on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round, the agreements reached over the last few months:
- Increase pay by 18.8% over five years.
- Enhance world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employee contribution rate.
- Give employees access to more paid vacation time earlier in their careers.
These agreements already cover thousands of employees and serve as a pattern for ongoing national negotiations. A list of carriers and unions participating in national handling can be found here. 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.
