Arlington, VA (October 10, 2022) – The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which represents the nation’s freight railroads in national collective bargaining, today issued the following statement:

We are disappointed that members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) have declined to ratify the recent tentative agreement (“TA”) between the BMWED and the nation’s freight railroads.

The TA implemented the recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board No. 250, including a 24 percent compounded wage increase and $5,000 in lump sum payments. The TA also included significant increases to the national rules relating to reimbursements for travel and away from home expenses for the roughly 50% of BMWED members employed in traveling roles. Following conclusion of negotiations on the national rules on September 10, several carriers also thereafter engaged in local discussions during the 21-day ratification period that just concluded regarding carrier-specific implementation of the new national travel and expense rules in the TA. Those local agreements, which would have gone into effect in conjunction with the TA, were not all reached until recently.

The parties have agreed to maintain the status quo as they discuss next steps. As such, the failed ratification does not present risk of an immediate service disruption.

At present, four labor organizations have ratified agreements to resolve the national bargaining round. Tentative agreements with seven other labor organizations remain subject to ratification.

For additional information about the bargaining round, including the status of all pending ratification votes, please click here.