IBEW ratifies five-year pact with Union Pacific

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members who work for Union Pacific Railroad on Sept. 3 ratified a new five-year labor agreement.

The contract includes the following for workers:

• annual general wage increases totaling 18.77% over the length of the contract;
• expanded paid bereavement leave to include grandparents and grandkids;
• the ability to carry over up to 32 hours paid sick time annually, with a maximum 160 hours with cash-out options at the end of each year;
• improvements to health and welfare benefits;
• paid vacation time for new hires and faster accrual of vacation time for tenured employees; and a new optional high-deductible health plan with lower monthly premiums.

"This agreement underscores the power of solidarity and the value of union labor in shaping a more secure and equitable workplace," said IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper in a press release.