United Rail Unions statement on opening of PEB

Today, July 24, 2022, the United Rail Unions, who are bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way/SMART Mechanical Coalition, and the Carriers represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC), began their presentations before Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) No. 250, which was appointed by President Biden on July 18, 2022.

The hearings are scheduled to continue through Thursday, July 28, with Friday reserved for facilitation meetings with the parties and the PEB. Following the hearings, the PEB will issue recommendations for settlement of the national agreement dispute. A second thirty-day cooling-off period will begin when those recommendations are issued, which should occur on or before August 15.

A summary of the proposals being advanced by the United Rail Unions can be found by reading this PDF, and a summary of the proposals being advanced by the NCCC can be found by reading this PDF.

The Unions’ proposals include a 5-year wage proposal seeking an increase of 31.2% when compounded, while the carriers are asking the PEB to recommend 17% compounded over 5 years.

On the issue of healthcare, the Unions are seeking status quo for employee cost sharing, and increases in autism and hearing benefits, which are long overdue. Despite our members being deemed “essential” and keeping the Nation’s rail system operating during the pandemic, the Carriers, just as they did during negotiations, have the audacity to ask the PEB to recommend massive healthcare concessions in both the form of drastic increases in employee costs and decreases in certain benefits, along with healthcare plan changes that only serve to further increase the record profits they are already reaping. In addition to wages and healthcare, the Unions are also seeking to create a national sick leave policy that would provide employees with 15 protected sick leave days and add three additional holidays, along with various craft-specific work rule proposals.

As we have previously communicated, the United Rail Unions remain unified in their efforts to secure the best contract possible for our members. We will show this week that the Unions’ proposals are supported by current economic data and are more than warranted when compared to our memberships’ contribution to the record profits of the rail carriers.

Additional information will be provided as developments warrant. We appreciate your continuing support.

Read this statement in PDF form.

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The unions comprising the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition are: the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA); the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen / Teamsters Rail Conference (BLET); the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS); the International Association of Machinists (IAM); the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB); the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers/SEIU (NCFO); the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU); the Transportation Communications Union / IAM (TCU), including TCU’s Brotherhood Railway Carmen Division (BRC); and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART–TD).

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division and SMART Mechanical Unions are also bargaining as a coalition.

Collectively, these Unions represent approximately 115,000 railroad workers covered by the various organizations’ national agreements, and comprise 100% of the workforce who will be impacted by this round of negotiations.