Early agreements now cover nearly 65% of
company's union workforce
ATLANTA, Sept. 4,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) has reached a tentative agreement with its final
general committee of the International Association of Sheet Metal,
Air, Rail and Transportation Workers - Transportation Division
(SMART-TD). SMART-TD is the company's largest labor union,
representing train conductors across the company's 22-state
network. The latest agreement ensures coverage for all Norfolk
Southern conductors and brings the total union workforce covered by
early tentative agreements to nearly 65%.
The agreement, which is subject to ratification, comes four
months before the opening of the next collective bargaining round
and provides a 3.5-percent average wage increase per year over the
next five years. Under the tentative agreements, covered
railroaders will also receive more vacation earlier in their career
and have enhancements made to an already robust suite of health
care benefits.
"At Norfolk Southern, we're working closely with our labor
leaders to support and reward our workforce, giving our valued
employees the pay, health care, and vacation improvements they
deserve without the multi-year wait that often accompanied previous
bargaining rounds," said Alan H.
Shaw, Norfolk Southern President and CEO. "We know that
railroading is more than just a job; it's an opportunity for a
fulfilling career capable of providing a good life for employees
and their families. We appreciate the partnership with SMART-TD and
look forward to reaching additional agreements with all of our
unions."
"I am proud that now all our SMART-TD General Chairman have been
able to negotiate the significant pay, health care, and vacation
benefits of this agreement for all conductors on Norfolk Southern,"
said Jeremy Ferguson, National
President SMART-TD. "We thank Norfolk Southern for stepping up at
the bargaining table and partnering on a deal that will truly
improve the lives of our dedicated members."
Over the past two weeks, Norfolk Southern has reached tentative
agreements with nine of its 13 unions, which, in addition to
SMART-TD, include the American Train Dispatchers Association
(ATDA), the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division
(BMWED), the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division/TCU (BRC), the
International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and
Transportation Workers - Mechanical Department (SMART-MD), the
International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and
Transportation Workers – Transportation Division Yardmasters
(SMART-TD Yardmasters), the International Brotherhood of
Boilermakers and Blacksmiths (IBBB), the National Conference of
Firemen and Oilers (NCFO), and the Transportation Communications
Union/IAM (TCU).
About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern
Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely
moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today,
it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight
transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability,
Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million
tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated
team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from
agriculture to consumer goods, and Norfolk Southern originates more
automotive traffic than any other Class I Railroad. Norfolk
Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the
eastern U.S. It serves a majority of the country's population and
manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port
on the Atlantic coast as well as major ports in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by
visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.
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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation