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11/4/2025
The National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) and its National Carriers Conference Committee yesterday announced a tentative five-year labor agreement has been reached with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET).
If ratified by BLET members, the agreement would follow the national industry-wide pattern by providing wage increases of 18.8% compounded over five years, enhancements to health and welfare benefits with no increase to employee contribution rate and access to more paid vacation time for employees earlier in their career, NRLC officials said in a press release.
More than 11,000 BLET members at 10 railroads will vote on the tentative agreement. Ballots will be counted on Dec. 30, BLET officials said in a separate press release.
Since the 2025 bargaining round began on Nov. 1, 2024, dozens of local and national agreements have been ratified following the industry pattern.
Upon ratification of the BLET agreement, nearly 95% of union-represented freight-rail employees at railroads participating in national contract negotiations would be covered by agreements following the pattern, NRLC officials said.