BLET members ratify first union contract with Illinois Railway

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified their first-ever union contract with the Illinois Railway (IR) on March 21, 2016. More than 80 percent of members who cast a valid ballot voted in favor of the agreement.

 

Train and engine service employees at the formerly non-union railroad voted to join the BLET in August of 2014 and negotiations began shortly thereafter. The new, four-year deal governs about 32 members and establishes hourly wage rates, overtime and the concept of a basic day, which guarantees members a minimum of eight hours pay for each tour of duty. The contract runs through January 1, 2020.

The newly ratified agreement establishes a seniority system for job bidding and placement, making job assignment a purely objective function. This is significant as it addresses the concerns of many IR members who were upset with how they were assigned to positions, especially when they saw an employee who was hired after them assigned to a position they themselves deemed more desirable.

The new contract also establishes a discipline rule to ensure job security. It protects members from arbitrary treatment and requires the carrier to establish just cause for any disciplinary action it may attempt to initiate against BLET members. This protection extends all the way through final and binding arbitration under the Railway Labor Act.

“We are very pleased that we were able to satisfy the major concerns that led the IR employees to designate BLET as their collective bargaining representative,” BLET National President Dennis Pierce said. “Their first-ever union contract is a significant milestone and I thank our IR membership for participating in the ratification vote. We look forward to negotiating more refinements and improvements during the next round of contract talks.”

 

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