Early agreements made with nine unions over
the past two weeks cover approximately 55% of railroad's total
union workforce
ATLANTA, Aug. 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of the Labor Day
holiday, which celebrates the achievements of American workers,
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is proud to announce it
has reached tentative, five-year collective bargaining agreements
with five labor unions in addition to the four announced last week.
These nine agreements, which, together, cover approximately 55% of
the company's unionized workforce, come four months before the
opening of the next collective bargaining round, underscoring
Norfolk Southern's commitment to provide prompt, meaningful
enhancements to pay, health care, and time off for its dedicated
craft railroaders.
The most recent agreements, which were reached in partnership
with BNSF Railway and are subject to ratification, include the
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths (IBBB)
and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO). Norfolk
Southern also separately reached tentative agreements with the
American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), the Brotherhood of
Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), and the International
Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers –
Transportation Division Yardmasters (SMART-TD Yardmasters).
"These agreements would not be possible without the
industry-leading partnership Norfolk Southern has built with our
labor unions," said Alan H. Shaw,
Norfolk Southern President and CEO. "As we recognize Labor Day this
upcoming weekend, we express our appreciation for the contributions
of our craft employees. We're committed to supporting them with the
pay, health care, and personal time they deserve, and look forward
to reaching additional agreements with all of our unions in the
near future."
The tentative agreements provide a 3.5-percent average wage
increase per year over the next five years. They also offer
railroaders more vacation earlier in their career and make
meaningful enhancements to an already robust suite of health care
benefits.
"This agreement marks a historic milestone, reached well before
the expiration of the moratorium period, and reflects the mutual
cooperation and commitment of Norfolk Southern and BMWED to engage
in open, honest dialogue while proactively addressing the critical
issues facing our members," said Tony
Cardwell, BMWED National Division President. "We are proud
of the progress we have made working together and look forward to
implementing this agreement and partnering with Norfolk Southern to
build on this foundation of collaboration and mutual respect."
"The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers is excited to
have a tentative agreement with Norfolk Southern as it is a whole
package with wage increases, vacation, and insurance," said
John Mansker, Director Railroad
Lodge Services International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.
"Alan Shaw and Norfolk Southern have
really stepped the game up for negotiating contracts for rail labor
before contracts are up. All the unions hope this will be a
standard practice in the future."
"I want to thank Vice President of Labor Relations
Wai Wong and his Labor Relations
team for their hard work on this," said Michael Pistone, NCFO President. "We need to
continue to look at ways to work together so the NCFO members and
Norfolk Southern can continue to progress into the future."
"Reaching comprehensive agreements on a local level has been
long overdue, so this is an important moment on the Norfolk
Southern property," said Ed Dowell, ATDA President. "I commend
our ATDA bargaining team composed of Vice President Brandon Denucci, Vice President Colin Thurman, General Chairman Nick Serrano, and System Treasurer Craig Duncan, each instrumental in advocating
our demands to the carrier. Additionally, I'd like to recognize
Norfolk Southern's bargaining team composed of Vice President Labor
Relations Wai Wong, Asst. Vice President Labor Relations Drew
Shepard, and Asst. Director Kristen
Baucom. I'd also like to personally thank Norfolk Southern
President and CEO Alan Shaw for
reaching out and addressing our concern that our Norfolk Southern
members' wages and benefits were lagging behind the other Class I
railroads. This agreement represents real progress."
"Norfolk Southern Yardmasters are the best in the industry, are
integral to the success of Norfolk Southern, and have earned the
benefits contained in this Agreement," said Joe Borders, General Chairman SMART-TD
Yardmasters. "General Chairman Dan
Weir and I thank Norfolk Southern for their partnership and
for providing a forum through this Agreement for SMART-TD
Yardmasters to continue discussions to address additional areas of
mutual interest."
Over the past two weeks, Norfolk Southern has reached tentative
agreements with nine of its 13 unions. On August 23, the company and BNSF Railway announced
tentative agreements with the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen
Division/TCU (BRC), the International Association of Sheet Metal,
Air, Rail and Transportation Workers - Mechanical Department
(SMART-MD), and the Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU).
Norfolk Southern also reached tentative agreements with multiple
General Committees for the International Association of Sheet
Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers - Transportation
Division (SMART-TD).
About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern
Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely
moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today,
it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight
transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability,
Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million
tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated
team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from
agriculture to consumer goods, and Norfolk Southern originates more
automotive traffic than any other Class I Railroad. Norfolk
Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the
eastern U.S. It serves a majority of the country's population and
manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port
on the Atlantic coast as well as major ports in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by
visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/norfolk-southern-reaches-tentative-collective-bargaining-agreements-with-five-additional-labor-unions-302234998.html
SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation