York Railway agreement gains 100% ratification

YORK, Pa. — UTU-represented trainmen, engineers and carmen employed by York Railway have ratified new collective bargaining agreements, with 100 percent of the membership voting in favor of contracts retroactive to Jan. 1, 2010 and extending through Dec. 31, 2014.

The agreements provide for full back pay, wage increases, parity for carmen who qualified as engineers and trainmen, a 401-k investment plan with a carrier match, increases in disability insurance, a life-insurance benefit, a cap on health care insurance premiums, and pay for lost time due to unavailability resulting from mandatory rest days required by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

UTU International Vice President Dave Wier, who assisted with negotiations, praised the efforts of York Railway General Chairperson Dave McCarthy for his “excellent job during the negotiations and in maintaining the lines of communication with carrier officers to finally complete the agreements.”

York Railway is a 42-mile Pennsylvania shortline controlled by Genesee & Wyoming. It interchanges with Canadian Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern.