Arlington, Va. (Dec. 9, 2024) – The National Carriers Conference (NCCC) is pleased to announce the ratification of national collective bargaining agreements with the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC). Ratification of these five-year agreements, which run through Dec. 31, 2029, represents a significant milestone in the ongoing national bargaining round.
The ratified agreements with TCU and BRC follow the pattern established by earlier local agreements between several rail carriers and unions. The terms of these agreements include:
- 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.
- Enhanced health and welfare benefits with no increase to employee contribution rates. In 2025, health care premiums will decrease to $277/month—well below the national average of $500/month for family coverage.
- Greater access to paid vacation time earlier in employees’ careers.
“These ratified agreements are a win for employees and the freight rail industry,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NRLC and the NCCC. “Employees will see meaningful wage increases, stronger benefits and greater flexibility to take time off earlier in their careers—real improvements that reflect the industry’s commitment to its workforce. At the same time, these agreements maintain the industry’s ability to invest in operations, deliver dependable service for customers, and support economic growth nationwide. We thank our union partners at TCU and BRC for their collaboration in reaching this milestone.”
A Milestone in Collaboration and Progress
National bargaining began with the exchange of Section 6 notices on Nov. 1, 2024. Early local agreements between several carriers and unions set the foundation for the national round, establishing a clear pattern that builds upon the historic 24% wage increase from the last bargaining round. Taken together, wages for employees covered by these agreements will increase by nearly 50% (compounded) from 2020–2029.
A list of carriers and unions participating in national handling can be found here. Carriers that reached an early local agreement covering a particular craft do not participate in national bargaining with respect to that craft. 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.
