Railroad Track Workers Have Rejected Their Proposed Contract
After a tentative agreement between railroad companies and unions was reached earlier this year, political leaders acted like the deal was settled. But thousands of rail workers just voted it down — which could put a national railroad strike back on the table.
Rail workers service the tracks at the Metra/BNSF railroad yard outside of downtown Chicago on September 13, 2022. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE), who build and maintain tracks and bridges, have voted down a national tentative agreement with the freight rail carriers.
Just under 12,000 of the union’s 23,900 freight rail workers voted, the union announced October 10, with 56 percent voting against the deal. Leaders said they’re hoping to return to the bargaining table. The union is delaying any potential strike until November 19 at the earliest.
In a statement, BMWE president Tony Cardwell attributed the rejection to members’ feeling that “management holds no regard for their quality of life, illustrated by their stubborn reluctance to provide a higher quantity of paid time off, especially for sickness.”
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