Late Tuesday, August 16th, Presidential Emergency Board #250 released its 124-Page Report, complete with its recommendations to settle the long-running bargaining dispute between the big U.S. rail carriers and the nation’s rail unions. While the labor organizations discuss the Report in the coming days and the rank & file attempts to wade through all of its verbiage between grueling work shifts, the rail carrier organizations lost no time in issuing joyful reactions to the Report's findings. By Wednesday morning, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) had issued official statements expressing satisfaction with the recommendation of the PEB. This alone speaks volumes.
On most of the important and pressing quality of work-life issues – the ones that probably matter the most in terms of job satisfaction, recruitment, and retention of railroad workers – the PEB simply chose to kick the can down the road, remanding the carriers and the unions to reach an agreement, something the parties have not been able to do previously for 2 ½ years now. On questions of attendance policies, work schedules, time off the job, predictability of train line-ups, call times, vacations, holidays, sick time, and more, the Board would recommend that the "organization withdraw the proposal" or "remand the matter to the Parties to address." (see below).
Railroad Workers United (RWU) - our Steering Committee and membership - will be discussing and debating the PEB in the coming days and will issue our official position on the PEB Recommendation accordingly. We encourage all railroad workers to read the entire document. Barring that, see our Summary of the PEB's Recommendations below and check the actual pages of the Report for the PEB language. Also, there is a PEB Summary that is worth looking at near the end of the Report.
-- Table of Contents is on Page 5.
-- The Recommendations of the Board Appear on Pages 34 to 115.
-- A full summary of the PEB’s recommendations can be found on Pages 116 & 117.
In terms of wage increases, here is what the Board recommends over the 5-year life of the contract (retroactive to 2020)
Date Increase Compounded
7-1-20 3.0% GWI 1.030
7-1-21 3.5% GWI 1.066
7-1-22 7.0% GWI 1.141
7-1-23 4.0% GWI 1.186
7-1-24 4.5% GWI 1.240
Note: On December 1 of each year, each employee would receive a $1000.00 on-time lump sum payment for a total of $5000 over the life of the contract.
Here is a Summary of the Board’s Recommendations:
Page # Union Request Board Recommendation
Page 34 Wages Increase See above
Page 44 Health and Welfare Status Quo 15% monthly contributions from employees
Page 81 3 New Federal Holidays to be Added That no new federal holidays be provided
Page 83 Personal Leave Days One additional leave day be provided
Page 83 Paid Sick Leave be provided That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 86 Schedules and Off Days Remand parties back to negotiations
Page 82 Attendance Policies to be negotiated That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 94 BLET & SMART-TD Meal Allowance Remand the parties back to negotiations
Page 96 BRS Signal Maintenance Differential That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Pahe 98 BMWED Travel/Meals/Lodging Allowance Adopt Organization Proposal with minor change
Page 105 Yardmasters Scope Rule and Vacations That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 105 Yardmasters Vacations That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 108 Shop Crafts Shift Differential That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 108 Shop Crafts Meal Allowance/Meal Period That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 110 NCFO: Additional Pay for Incidental Work That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 112 TCU: Clericals Discipline for use of Sick Leave That the Organization withdraw the proposal
Page 114 ATDA: Supplemental Sickness Benefit Plan That the Organization withdraw the proposal
