Presidential Emergency Board recommendations for a new rail labor contract are a “vast improvement” over offers from the railroads, the president of a major rail union says, but “do not go far enough” in addressing quality-of-life issues.
Jeremy R. Ferguson, president of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation-Transportation Division, said in a statement Thursday that union negotiators “feel a level of disappointment with the PEB’s recommendations falling short on many of our requests.”
Ferguson said that during July hearings, union leaders “delivered impassioned and technically sound presentations” on the quality-of-life issues, “including addressing the draconian carrier attendance policies and the need for more paid and scheduled time off. …. Our preference was for the PEB to make firm and bold changes to that status quo, but unfortunately, they deferred and moved these important issues back to the domain of arbitration.”
The board’s proposals include a 22% cumulative (24% compounded) wage increase over the five-year life of the contract [see “Presidential Emergency Board issues rail contract recommendations …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 16, 2022]. Railroads have noted that these figures are substantially higher than their offer but that they are prepared to reach an agreement based on those recommendations [see “Presidential board recommendations a ‘useful basis’ …,” News Wire, Aug. 17, 2022].
Ferguson notes that the proposal would constitute the largest pay raise for rail labor in 47 years, “but falls well short of our proposed benchmark to provide our members … a rate of pay of which they are deserving and will attract new talent.” (Unions had sought a cumulative increase of 28%; railroads had offered 16%). He says “it is unknown if the recommended wage and benefit package will assist in retaining workers, let alone recruit new employees into the industry. …. based on our initial feedback, the outlook is not good.
Ferguson asked union members to “be patient as this situation continues to evolve. We are currently gathering and evaluating information, which includes input from the membership, as we weigh the PEB’s recommendations and what our options may be.” Members of the United Rail Unions coalition will be meeting with railroads’ negotiating group, the National Railway Labor Conference, “in the very near future to determine if a possible tentative agreement can be reached,” he said.
Elsewhere, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said in a statement Wednesday that it was “continuing to analyze” the presidential board recommendations before making any public comment.
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