BLET members vote to ratify 5-year contract with CSX

CSX yesterday announced employees represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have voted to ratify a five-year collective bargaining agreement covering 3,400 locomotive engineers.

The agreement with BLET mirrors the general wage increases, and health and welfare improvements in CSX's agreements with 13 other unions, CSX officials said in a press release.

Locomotive engineers make up 20% of CSX’s front-line workforce.

“The ratified agreement demonstrates the value of our partnership with BLET, our CSX general chairmen, and our shared commitment to improving the day-to-day experience for our locomotive engineers,” said CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs.

To date, nearly 75% of CSX unionized workers are now covered by new agreements reached within the last 10 months. The only remaining major workgroup at CSX not covered by new agreements or a tentative agreement are trainmen/conductors represented by SMART-TD. CSX is currently engaged in bargaining with SMART-TD to consolidate separate territories and workforces and execute a single-system collective agreement, company officials said.