SMART-TD Members on UP Properties Ratify Five-Year Agreement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Independence, OH — 11/28/25 — Members of SMART-TD working on Union Pacific (UP) properties have decisively voted to ratify the 2025 Tentative Agreement (TA), with over 80 percent of ballots cast in favor. This is a clear signal of overwhelming support for the contract.

After nearly a year of determined negotiations, SMART-TD and UP reached a TA that mirrors the recently ratified national pattern agreement while securing additional, critical protections tailored for our UP members.

 What the Agreement Delivers

• Substantial Wage Increases — The contract provides a compounded wage increase of 18.77 percent over the five-year life of the agreement, as detailed in the national SMART-TD agreement ratified on October 30, 2025.
• Enhanced Benefits & Quality-of-Life Improvements — Members will see strengthened health benefits (medical, dental, vision), improved vacation accrual, and other quality-of-life enhancements reflected in the national agreement.
• Critical Protections for UP Members — Importantly, the TA resolves longstanding issues unique to UP:
  • It ends the rail carrier’s two-decade-long practice of deducting “outside earnings” from back pay awards in wrongful termination cases. This is a major win for fairness and financial security.
  • It ensures fully reinstated members are made whole, reimbursing medical premiums and expenses incurred while awaiting arbitration decisions.
  • It expands meal allowances in recognition of the changing costs rail workers bear on duty.

A Strong Vote of Confidence

The decisive “yes” vote demonstrates members’ trust in SMART-TD’s bargaining team and the value placed on the protections and improvements secured under the TA. The overwhelming results affirm that the membership believes this contract moves the union and its members forward, materially improving wages, benefits, and job security.

“This ratification reflects our members’ unified voice and confidence in what was negotiated,” said SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson. “The decisive support underscores a shared commitment to preserving good jobs, strong benefits, and fairness for all members working on Union Pacific. I want to thank all of the General Chairpersons and their General Committees from our Union Pacific properties for their hard work negotiating this agreement. Their leadership in this process will protect our people and their families’ interests over the next five years.”

What Comes Next

With ratification confirmed, the TA becomes binding. UP-employed SMART-TD members will begin receiving the agreed wage increases, benefit enhancements, and the new protections outlined in the agreement. Union leadership encourages all members to review the full text of the agreement. This includes the wage schedule, benefit provisions, and protections. SMART-TD wants to ensure our UP members have a full understanding of what was won.

SMART-TD remains committed to representing the interests of all its members. Though this agreement covers those on UP properties, the union continues its work across all railroads to ensure every member benefits from strong contracts now and into the future.

For more information or to connect with SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson or a member of his staff, please contact:

Dan Banks
dbanks@smart-union.org 
(216) 227-5283 (Office) 
(330) 322-5949 (Cell) 

Alyssa Hansen
alyssa.hansen@smart-union.org