In fall 2024, CSX Railroad announced plans to change how the carrier moves freight between Chicago and the East Coast; a plan that would have forced more than 120 SMART-TD members to choose between relocation to either Buffalo, N.Y., or Willard, Ohio — or be laid off.
SMART-TD officers and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown took action in response. And with the senator’s help, union railroad jobs stayed in Cleveland where they belong.
“[Senator Brown] said, ‘Hey look, your plan is very flawed and you’re definitely affecting Ohio workers in a negative way. And here we are [now], talking about creating more jobs for Ohioans,” said SMART-TD Ohio State Safety and Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker.
The fight for Cleveland railroaders started when CSX unveiled a plan to streamline its operations in Northern Ohio by reducing train stops and crew members at Collinwood Rail Yard. This streamlining predominantly depended on employees moving from Cleveland to Buffalo or Willard — 180 miles and 80 miles away from Cleveland, respectively.
“With the crews in Cleveland, there was a lot of panic and a lot of ‘what if,’” said Ryan Fries, SMART-TD Local 378 vice local chairperson. “‘Are we going to have to drive three and a half hours to work? Is my spouse going to have to change jobs?”
“Their whole plan was contingent on us moving, because they needed the manpower to go with their plan,” added SMART-TD General Committee GO-049 Assistant General Chairperson Eric Kosinski.
According to CSX, this was a positive development — one that would actually create jobs, Fries said. But, he added, phase three of CSX’s plan was essentially a full shutdown of Collinwood Yard. After a conversation with CSX Superintendent Darin Hershiser, Whitaker agreed.
“In the 24 years I’ve been here, whenever I hear that word [streamlined], that tells me you’re shutting the entire place down and we’ll get a barebones operation. Which, coincidentally, was their plan.”
That’s when SMART-TD reached out to Senator Brown, asking him to help broker a meeting between TD and CSX. Brown took action, issuing a public letter that called on CSX President and CEO Joseph Hinrichs “to meet with workers as soon as possible and reverse plans that would remove train stops and train crews from the Collinwood Rail Yard facility in Cleveland.”
“In the strongest possible terms, I urge you to reverse CSX’s strategy concerning Collinwood staffing,” Brown wrote. “CSX recorded more than $3.7 billion of profits last year. Instead of cutting positions at Collinwood, CSX should pursue safer and more reliable operations by investing in hiring in Cleveland and across your company’s rail network.”
The combined efforts of union labor and a pro-worker senator paid off: SMART-TD officers met with CSX and were able to devise a solution.
“We were actually able to implement a plan that created more jobs for the area,” Fries concluded.
Prior to this development, SMART and SMART-TD had already endorsed Senator Sherrod Brown in his reelection campaign this November. His immediate, strong and successful defense of the jobs of Local 378 members in Cleveland reaffirmed to our organization that our faith in him is well placed.
October 4, 2024: The SMART Transportation Division proudly congratulates SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Division (MD) members for their achievement in ratifying collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with three major rail carriers: BNSF, CSXT and Norfolk Southern.
The newly ratified agreements will provide SMART-MD members with healthcare stability and annual wage increases through December 31, 2029. The five-year agreements guarantee an average general wage increase of 3.5% per year and include improvements in paid vacation and health and welfare benefits, maintaining a consistent employee monthly cost-share contribution.
John McCloskey, General Committee 2 directing general chairperson, remarked on the significance of these agreements, stating, “GWIs of 18.8% compounded are almost unheard of in the freight industry, especially on a voluntary basis without concessions. I appreciate BNSF, CSX and NS negotiating with SMART-MD in good faith.”
SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson told SMART News, “This is a milestone that underscores the strength and determination of SMART members in securing fair labor agreements. Congratulations to our brothers and sisters in the Mechanical Division!”
In a strong show of unity, members voted in favor of the CBAs, with results reflecting significant support: 69% for BNSF, 68% for CSXT, and 62% for Norfolk Southern. This outcome highlights the commitment of SMART-MD’s members to engage in the ratification process and ensure their voices are heard.
SMART-MD Director Peter Kennedy expressed gratitude to the members who participated, stating, “Thank you to the members that took the time to educate themselves about their agreement, and that participated in the ratification process. We are glad to have resolved negotiations with these major freight railroads. The remaining rail carriers need to follow the pattern that has been established by BNSF, CSXT and NS.”
SMART General President Michael Coleman also praised the outcome, noting, “The members have passed their verdict on the agreements with BNSF, CSX-T and NS, with more than 60% voting in favor for each carrier. I am grateful for the determination and advocacy of the SMART-MD negotiating team, and I appreciate the leadership at BNSF, CSX-T and NS for resolving the next round of national negotiations without dragging out the bargaining process for years.”
As we celebrate this victory, the SMART Transportation Division reaffirms its dedication to supporting all SMART divisions in their pursuit of equitable labor agreements. These successful ratifications serve as a powerful reminder that together, we can achieve meaningful progress and secure a better future for all rail industry workers.
The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department (MD) members employed on BNSF, CSX-T and Norfolk Southern Railway have voted to ratify their respective collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Members voted in favor of the CBAs by 69% (BNSF), 68% (CSX) and 62% (NS).
With these agreements ratified, SMART-MD members employed by BNSF, CSX-T and NS have secured healthcare stability and annual wage increases through December 31, 2029.
The CBAs on each respective rail carrier are essentially identical, consisting of a five-year term that provides for annual general wage increases (GWI) that average out to 3.5% per year, improvements for paid vacation, as well as improvements to health and welfare benefits without changing the employee monthly cost-share contribution of 15% of the carriers’ monthly payment rate. The CBAs also resulted in the creation of new benefit design for employees that desire to have employee-only coverage under a high deductible health plan at a reduced employee monthly cost-share contribution.
“GWIs of 18.8% compounded are almost unheard of in the freight industry, especially on a voluntary basis without concessions,” said General Committee 2 Directing General Chairperson John McCloskey. “I appreciate BNSF, CSX and NS negotiating with SMART-MD in good faith and allowing us the opportunity to engage with the members throughout the ratification process.”
“Thank you to the members that took the time to educate themselves about their agreement, and that participated in the ratification process. We are glad to have resolved negotiations with these major freight railroads. The remaining rail carriers need to follow the pattern that has been established by BNSF, CSX-T and NS,” added SMART-MD Director Peter Kennedy.
“The members have passed their verdict on the agreements with BNSF, CSX-T and NS, with more than 60% voting in favor for each carrier,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “I am grateful for the determination and advocacy of the SMART-MD negotiating team, and I appreciate the leadership at BNSF, CSX-T and NS for resolving the next round of national negotiations without dragging out the bargaining process for years. I am glad these railroads recognized that our members deserve to be compensated fairly with wage increases coming to them in real time, rather than years after the fact.”
I would like to take a moment to address the tentative agreements on certain properties, including CSXT, NS, and BNSF, which are currently out for ratification or will be shortly, which for most will be in lieu of the traditional “national agreement.” Undoubtedly, this scenario is a bit unusual to those of us who have been around for a decade or more, and it is even more unconventional to us as international officers who are usually engaged in national negotiations every three to five years. We are definitely in some uncharted waters here, because we have never seen a tentative agreement come to fruition before our Section 6 notices were even served, or the existing agreement’s moratorium has opened to require negotiations under the Railway Labor Act (RLA).
In the last round of negotiations, we were met with some of the most-contentious circumstances imaginable, due to all the carriers being hell bent on achieving crew consist changes to remove conductors from our through freight trains. Throughout that round of bargaining, not a single rail labor union was able to gain any meaningful traction, as the carriers made it very clear they were not negotiating with anyone until SMART-TD conceded to eliminating a significant portion of the conductor craft. Of course, we never agreed and instead made our case to Presidential Emergency Board 250, which reaffirmed that all crew consist issues were to be handled at the “local level” (i.e., the General Committee of Adjustment level). PEB 250 also gave us the largest pay increase in modern history, along with some very complex work rule changes to include rest days, and the reinstatement of the 15 percent monthly health & welfare contribution requirement.
With the above in mind, and given some of the inquiries we have received at both the national and general committee levels, I am publishing this informational notice for members who may still be curious about certain aspects of these tentative agreements. We hope you will find the following questions and answers helpful and informative.
“Why didn’t we get more than 17.5% general wage increase? It’s not as much as 22%!”
First and foremost, the proposed general wage increases work out to be within $2.00 per day compared to what we received under PEB 250. You heard that correctly, less than $2.00 per day difference. Even though 17.5% is objectively less than 22%, we are compounding upon a higher dollar value today than we were under PEB 250. By July 1, 2029, the base foreman rate of pay will increase by $61.40 per day and the base conductor rate of pay will increase by $55.28 per day. Under the record 22% of PEB 250, our foremen experienced a $63.36 per day increase, and our conductors experienced a $56.53 per day increase. I would also like to add that this proposal is the largest general wage increase negotiated voluntarily without third party intervention, without healthcare cost increases, and without work rule changes!
What are we giving up?
NOTHING! There are no work rule changes or healthcare cost increases included in this proposal.
What about our crew consist agreement(s) that mandate conductors on all trains?
Since there are no work rule changes affecting crew consist, these agreements (if ratified) will secure another five-year period where no changes can even be proposed under Section 6 of the RLA. This is huge! Yes, we have obtained a two-person crew regulation from the Federal Railroad Administration, but we are still very concerned about the possibility of future anti-labor and anti-regulation focused administrations undermining our progress. We are equally concerned with what the Supreme Court has done with their recent Chevron decision, which could also compromise our regulation. Ratifying these agreements now will protect and guarantee the future of our conductors, while providing another 5 years for us to focus on passing a rail safety bill through Congress, which would make two-person crews the literal law of the land.
What else is in this for me?
If you have fewer than 25 years of service, you will be getting your next week(s) of vacation entitlement two years sooner. You will see much needed and commonly requested increases to your dental, orthodontic, and vision benefits, and voluntary male sterilization (vasectomies) will be covered by your medical insurance. Additionally, if you are single, you will have the option to choose a health & welfare plan with a lower monthly contribution requirement of 10%, compared to the 15% we are all currently paying. This voluntary option is worth approximately $100 per month for those who qualify and decide to opt in. For those who opt completely out of coverage, the payment made to you will double, from $100 to $200 per month.
Why are General Chairmen signatory to this agreement and not the SMART-TD International officers?
Leading up to this tentative agreement, there were some informal discussions at the “national” level between some of the involved rail labor unions and the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC), which is the umbrella organization that represents approximately 40 railroads who are party to national bargaining.
Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, those discussions were not productive. However, one particular railroad CEO, Joe Hinrichs from CSX, took the bull by the horns and said he would make a deal for most of what had been discussed but rejected by the NCCC. As a result, these agreements now have to be done “on the property” at the individual General Committee level. Interestingly, NS and BNSF management also agreed to the same deals shortly after the CSX. Why? It’s a proposal that should bring labor peace instead of the high-profile confrontations all their shareholders witnessed just a few years ago. Simple as that. No hidden agendas, no waiting for 2+ years, no backpay hanging in the balance, and no nonsense.
Boeing looks like they are getting a 30% pay increase and we should too!
We can certainly all agree that we should always get the highest general wage increases possible, and that is absolutely what we fight for. Fortunately for us, our situation is not comparable to Boeing employees being represented by the IAM. Going back to at least 2014, those Boeing employees have received sub-standard wage increases that have consistently fallen short of our agreements. If they ratify their proposed wage increases, it will essentially bring them up to speed with where SMART-TD members are today. And that is before we factor in the 17.5% general wage increases that have been proposed to you right now. Further, the Boeing proposal does not include back pay, so those employees will never recoup what they have lost during negotiations, which weakens the dollar value of what they are getting compared to what we have enjoyed during that time. Another major nuance when comparing the two is that Boeing employees lost their pension if they had fewer than 20 years of service, which is valued at approximately $5 per hour. By comparison, our pension fund is secured and doing very well at the RRB. Just like the John Deere, UPS, and UAW scenarios we have observed over the past few years, Boeing simply does not compare to us. We cannot fixate on the percentages of another union’s general wage increases without considering their agreements as a whole. Doing so would be a disservice to our members and a failure in our duties to obtain the best possible wages, rules, and healthcare improvements. Nonetheless, social media, anti-labor news outlets, and bad-faith actors who want us to fail continue to attempt to mislead our members with half-truths and misleading statistics.
These tentative agreements are simple and straightforward, and provide substantial wage increases without making concessions in other areas, and without making us fight for 2-3 years just to get what we deserve. Like every agreement in every unionized setting, this may not address or resolve every single issue that is important to every single member, but I am proud to say that this agreement provides significant improvements on many of the key issues that our members tell us about. Of course, we could have demanded everything and refused to meet on middle ground, which would have inevitably led to the same old drawn-out battle and years of delays, likely followed by a binding decision made by outsiders who do not completely understand our industry. We saw that play out in PEB 250, and our members have made it abundantly clear that they do not want a repeat of that situation. We firmly believe that this is a straightforward, no B.S. agreement that delivers another round of damn good wage increases and healthcare improvements, without sacrificing other important areas such as our work rules, crew consist, and benefits.
If you still have questions, I highly encourage you to contact your General Chairperson or this office prior to casting your vote. We are more than willing and able to dispel any rumor or misinformation that is circulating on social media, in the crew room or on anti-union so-called “news” outlets. To find contact information for your General Committee office, the simplest way is to download the SMART Union app on your phone or tablet, or visit our website at www.smart-union.org to register and sign in to the Member Portal. From there, you can find a convenient directory with all the contact information for your elected representatives.
I hope this provides a better understanding of what is on the table — and perhaps most importantly what we don’t have on the table — for you to decide on. When all things are considered, we are confident that a “yes” vote is the right decision for our involved members, and we highly recommend that you do so.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Aug. 21, 2024) — SMART Transportation Division negotiators have reached a tentative agreement with CSX that would provide raises and improvements in paid vacation and health care if ratified by members.
The new five-year agreement will be put in front of TD members working in CSX’s Northern Mid-Atlantic District for a vote. SMART-TD’s GO 049 encompasses the former Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), former Conrail and former Pan Am and is led by General Chairperson Rick Lee.
“It’s refreshing to see that we are finally advancing in transparency and fruitful negotiations with CSX to address the issues at hand. Class I rail carriers traditionally stick together, play games with us and basically try to wait us out to uncertainty before offering any beneficial agreement changes that we seek, if they offer anything at all,” GC Lee said. “However, in order to get ahead of the potential situation like we went through in the 2020 rounds of bargaining that led to a PEB in 2022, SMART-TD GO 049 knew it was in the best interest of our members to avoid this potential circus in 2025 and engaged in early discussions prior to the actual contract moratorium deadline to test the waters.
“To that effect, as other discussions on national bargaining items quickly broke down, we were pleased to find that CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs and his team at CSX were willing to step up to the plate and not play games.
“Based on our advanced focus and collaborative efforts in an attempt to not delay pay raises and enhance benefits to those we represent, the tentative agreement (TA) reached with CSX today will not only allow our members to enjoy increases in their paychecks and significant AFHT meal reimbursements, but they will also enjoy distinct improvements to their quality of life with guaranteed vacation for new hires and accelerated vacation accrual for others with more seniority. Additionally, we were able to provide H&W benefit enhancements that our members have been seeking for many years.
“All in all, I’m very proud of the work of my team here at GO 049 has done to secure this agreement. If the TA is ratified, we will be able to avoid the projected multiple years of uncertainty and frustration, which falls into the ‘plus’ column alone.”
SMART-TD will release details about the tentative agreement to members as the choice is considered whether to ratify the tentative agreement. Terms include average wage increases of 3.5% per year over five years. Other details about improvements in paid vacation and health care will be provided in the near future.
GC Lee and his negotiating team for GO 049 was assisted by TD Vice President Jamie Modesitt in the negotiations.
The announcement of the tentative agreement comes months before the current National Railroad Agreement that took effect in late 2022 becomes amendable for the large U.S. rail carriers.
“I want to recognize the labor leaders who have stepped up to serve the best interests of their members and our employees in getting these historic deals done well in advance of their contracts even coming open for negotiation,” said Joe Hinrichs, president and chief executive officer. “CSX and our labor partners understand our employees don’t want to wait several years for their next pay raise. We thank the organizations for working with us to demonstrate that our ONE CSX culture and values aren’t just words, they are our collective path forward to an improved experience for both our employees and customers. We have also reached out to our other labor partners and look forward to promptly reaching agreements for all CSX union employees patterned on these same terms.”
CSX also announced on the same day that it reached tentative agreements with the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC).
###
SMART Transportation Division is the biggest rail union in the United States comprised of approximately 125,000 active and retired members who work in a variety of different crafts in the transportation industry. These crafts include employees on every Class I railroad, Amtrak, many shortline railroads, bus and mass transit employees and airport personnel. Media contact: news_TD@smart-union.org.
Local 600 in Cumberland, Md., is mourning the loss of CSX conductor trainee Travis Bradley alongside his family and friends.
Brother Travis Bradley, a conductor trainee out of Local 600 in Cumberland, Md., died after an at-work accident on Aug. 7
Shortly after midnight August 7, Brother Bradley, 40, died from injuries he received Aug. 6 while working in an incident involving a close clearance in a yard track. Brother Bradley referred to his new career in railroading as his dream job. Unfortunately, his career and life were both tragically cut short in Cumberland Yard.
Bradley came to the railroad in hopes of providing for his wife and three children. Like most of us, he was willing to sacrifice holidays, sleep and any aspect of a normal lifestyle to bring his family the security of railroad worker wages, healthcare and retirement.
As a trainee, Brother Bradley’s family is not protected by the same level of benefits that non-probationary employees are. The ugly truth is that his wife and children will not be taken care of by the railroad in the way that Travis had set out.
We all began as trainees, and even if it was 30 years ago, many of us remember having a close call while learning how to railroad safely. Brother Bradley didn’t survive that moment in his young career.
SMART-TD extends its condolences to the Bradley family and all our members in Local 600 and thanks Local 600’s Local Chairperson Danny Strang for establishing the GoFundMe campaign to benefit Brother Bradley’s family. Your leadership and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for the men and women of your crew base is appreciated.
As a result of last year’s national rail negotiations, some TD freight rail members have gained — for the first time — paid sick leave benefits for train and engine workers for U.S.-based carriers on the East Coast.
In late April, GO-049 Mid-Atlantic District members ratified the first agreement for freight rail operating employees to receive paid sick days.
The agreement with CSX set a historic precedent, providing for five paid sick days, adding an option to convert personal days to sick days and cashing out sick time at the end of the year.
The lack of paid sick time within the railroad industry was highlighted in the media in 2022, when workers rejected a tentative national agreement that covered most railroad carriers and labor organizations, almost leading to a shutdown of the nation’s vital supply chain.
The operating crafts (which include engineers, conductors and trainmen) have what is perceived as the most demanding of working conditions of the railroad crafts due to the travel requirements, extreme weather conditions and the on-call nature of their positions. This agreement establishes a benefit in the railroad industry that many American workers already enjoy.
In addition to paid sick time, the agreement, which covers approximately 2,400 conductors and trainmen on CSX Northern line, also adopts the current attendance policy put in place by CSX into the collective bargaining agreement. Railroads in the past have been reluctant to negotiate attendance; this is another first for the operating workforce, as it subjects the former policy (now agreement) to negotiations if any changes are desired by either the carrier or the employees in the future.
“It’s refreshing and impressive to see the overwhelming support of the membership on this tentative agreement. It is also encouraging that SMART-TD and CSX leadership were able to sit down at the table and reach a consensus on items as important as these. I am hopeful this momentum will carry forward in future negotiations and help us collectively improve the working conditions and overall morale at CSX,” General Chairperson Richard Lee said.
Two other CSX committees, GOs 513 and 851, also reached similar tentative agreements in late May.
All Norfolk Southern operating general committees have ratified an agreement and completed negotiations with the carrier gaining five paid sick days, additional financial compensation and addressing scheduling and quality-of-life concerns. Yardmasters also reached an agreement that provides paid sick time.
UP GO reaches crew-consist agreement
Out west, GO-953 ratified a crew-consist agreement, preserving the in-cab role of the conductor until national negotiations reopen. The ratified agreement provides for a substantial signing bonus, work protections and no rules changes regarding road/yard switching.
General Chairperson Luke Edington of Local 286 (North Platte, Neb.) negotiated the successful agreement with assistance from Vice General Chairperson Zach Nagy and Vice President Brent Leonard.
GO-953 has members in 48 TD locals and represents workers in Union Pacific’s Eastern, Pacific Northwest and Idaho territories (former Chicago-Northwestern Railway Co.), Kyle, Nebraska Central and Portland Terminal railroads and the Wichita Terminal Association.
Property-specific negotiations continue with BNSF and remaining segments of CSX and UP, while talks with Norfolk Southern have concluded. The SMART website will continue to be updated with the latest information about continued negotiations and the substantial gains these agreements bring to our members’ quality of life.
CSX facts
Five paid sick days with option to convert two personal days
Unused sick days converted to cash
Incorporates more lenient carrier attendance policy
Covers ~2,400 members
UP facts
A $27,500 signing bonus upon the contract’s ratification
Continues to require the conductor’s position as being based in the cab of the locomotive
30 years of protections for brakemen/switchmen, with assignments abolished
NS facts
T&E workers get five paid sick days with the option to convert up to two personal leave days to on-demand sick days
Unused personal leave days can now be carried over and accumulated indefinitely, with no limitations
Yardmasters get four paid sick days with the option to convert up to three personal leave days
Momentum is a powerful force. Right now, it is on rail labor’s side and our leadership is doing a great job of using it to the advantage of our membership. Monday, May 22, Joe Bennett, general chairperson of GO-851, and Brian Killough, general chairperson of GO-513 announced a tentative agreement with CSX to grant paid sick leave to its members.
This announcement continues the progress that has been made by their counterpart in the northern region of CSX (GO-49) and by the general committees of Norfolk Southern. Paid sick leave has been the goal of railroaders for generations. It is not only the quality-of-life issue that defines our industry but also a validation of the dignity of our profession. Not only were Brothers Bennett and Killough able to get paid sick leave in this tentative agreement, but they were able to gain traction in several other areas as well.
The tentative agreement synopsis is as follows:
Provides five paid sick with the option to convert two personal days to paid sick days for conductors and trainmen.
Unused sick days are converted to cash at the end of the year with the option to defer those payments into a 401(k).
Incorporates the current 2023 CSX Revised Attendance Policy (the most lenient policy at CSX in decades) as a component of the CBA and is only subject to amendments under the provisions of the Railway Labor Act.
Allows conductors to carry over up to 100 personal days from year to year rather than carrying over just 30 and losing the rest.
Provides improved work/rest initiatives with the formation of a Joint Labor/Management Committee to implement “Smart Rest” options, which could provide for up to 24 hours off between tours of duty and voluntary rest day schedules.
Reintroduces the safety boots program for trainpersons.
Allows local union officials to be reimbursed for lost earnings when they mark off for vacation scheduling rather than just a basic day’s pay rate.
Permits train service employees, when practicable, to drive themselves or their own crew within defined terminal switching limits under limited conditions.
“We thank CSX CEO Joseph Hinrichs and Executive Vice President Jamie Boychuk for exhibiting flexibility and working with our union in a collaborative manner in reaching this tentative agreement,” SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson said. “This serves as a vital first step to giving T&E personnel the paid sick time they deserve, and I am hopeful this accommodation will be soon extended to the employees working under the jurisdiction of all other rail carriers.”
Brother Killough was quick to give credit for this TA coming together to SMART-TD Vice Presidents J.D. (John) Whitaker and Jamie Modesitt.
“Brother Whitaker did a great job taking the lead on these negotiations, and Joe and I are excited about the end results. Not only did our team put us in a position to get the paid sick time our people need and deserve, but we got CSX to put the attendance policy into the Collective Bargaining Agreement,” Killough said. “That is a way bigger deal than most people realize. They can’t make a unilateral change to the attendance policy if this passes, and you can’t put a price tag on that kind of progress.”
Bennett also brought the attendance policy up while he was discussing the advantages of this TA.
“I’ve been working for CSX since 1998, and in the span of my career, they have had 4 or 5 different attendance policies. Each one was worse than the one it replaced,” he said. “Now we put ourselves in a good situation where they can’t just change our lives by simply sending out a system bulletin.”
Another item in the agreement that both GCs brought up was the reinstatement of the boot program.
“When CSX stopped providing safety boots for our men and women, it made a statement. It couldn’t have been a big enough expenditure to have made a real difference to them, but the money and implied downgrade in respect meant a lot to our guys,” Bennett said. “Hopefully, CSX agreeing to reinstate the program is just as good of an indicator of what is on the horizon as losing it was.”
The boot program’s discontinuation was one of the first moves CSX made as E. Hunter Harrison embarked on implementing Precision Scheduled Railroading.
Both Bennett and Killough went out of their way to point out that this tentative agreement is not written in stone. Bennett wanted it known that “We worked long and hard on forming this agreement and getting our members the paid sick time they obviously deserve, but it is up to individual locals to vote on whether or not this agreement gets ratified.”
Per the SMART Constitution, each Local chair will be given the opportunity to cast a ballot, and the fate of this agreement will be decided by a simple majority of this vote.
Both GCs have reached out to the locals they represent and provided the language of the tentative agreement. They are working to schedule conference calls with their local leaders in hopes of answering any questions they might have and ensuring that accurate information is being provided to the crew bases so they can make their decisions based on facts.
SMART-TD is grateful to the leadership of Brothers Bennett and Killough for getting this agreement to this point. They have not only made us proud but have made strides to improve the lives of the SMART members they serve. We encourage all the members of these two general committees to read the agreement in its entirety and let your voices be heard in your local meetings. This union is in place to represent you. For SMART-TD to function properly, it requires that you take an active role, especially in matters of this level of importance.
Net Earnings: Increased 10% to $1.7 billion from $1.5 billion Earnings Per Share: n/a – BNSF is not publicly traded Revenue: Increased 14% to $6.6 billion from $5.8 billion Operating Income: Increased 7% to $2.4 billion from $2.2 billion Operating Expenses: Increased 19% to $4.3 billion from $3.6 billion Operating Ratio: Worsened 2.8% to 63.2% from 60.4%
Net Earnings: Increased 28% to C$1.33 billion from C$1.04 billion Diluted Earnings Per Share: Increased 32% to C$1.92 per share from C$1.46 per share Revenue: Increased 21% to a record C$4.34 billion from C$3.6 billion Operating Income: Increased 28% to a record C$1.8 billion from C$1.4 billion Operating Expenses: Increased 18% to C$2.6 billion from C$2.2 billion Operating Ratio: Improved 2.3 points to 59.3% from 61.6%
Net Earnings: Decreased 39% to C$765 million from C$1.25 billion Diluted Earnings Per Share: Decreased 56% to $0.82 per share from $1.86 per share Revenue: Increased 7% to C$2.20 billion from C$2.05 billion Operating Income: Increased 6% to C$868 million from C$820 million Operating Expenses: Increased 8% to C$1.33 billion from C$1.23 billion Operating Ratio: Worsened by 50 basis points to 60.6% from 60.1%
Net Earnings: Increased to $1.18 billion from $1.17 billion Diluted Earnings Per Share: Increased 4% to $0.54 per share from $0.52 per share Revenue: Increased 28% to $3.82 billion from $3.00 billion Operating Income: Increased 1% to $1.70 billion from $1.69 billion Operating Expenses: Increased 63% to $2.11 billion from $1.30 billion Operating Ratio: Worsened to 55.4% from 43.4%
Net Earnings: Increased 142% to $194 million from -$459.6 million Earnings Per Share: n/a Revenue: Increased 13% to $846 million from $750 million Operating Income: Increased 172% to $313 million from -$432 million Operating Expenses: Decreased 55% to $533 million from $1.18 billion Operating Ratio: Improved 94.6 points to 63.0% from 157.6%
Net Earnings: Stayed flat at $819 million Diluted Earnings Per Share: Increased 5% to $3.45 per share from $3.28 per share Revenue: Increased to $3.3 billion from $2.8 billion Operating Income: Increased 9% to $1.09 billion from $1.04 billion Operating Expenses: Increased 21% to $2 billion from $1.6 billion Operating Ratio: Worsened to 60.9% from 58.3%
Net Earnings: Increased 2% to $1.84 billion from $1.79 billion Diluted Earnings Per Share: Increased to $2.93 per share from $2.72 per share Revenue: Increased 14% to $6.3 billion from $5.5 billion Operating Income: Increased 1% to $2.49 billion from $2.47 billion Operating Expenses: Increased 25% to $3.8 billion from $3.03 billion Operating Ratio: Worsened 5.1 points to 60.2% from 55.1%
A 1996 graduate of Marlington High School in Alliance, Ohio, Brother O’Brien was a member of the Louisville Baptist Temple, the Civil Air Patrol, the NRA and was a part of his high school wrestling team. He enjoyed skydiving, going to shooting ranges and spending time with his dog and family.
A 23-year member of CSX Local 1374, Brother O’Brien was both a certified conductor and engineer.
“I only knew Erik from some phone calls over the years, and he seemed to be a great person,” said GO 049 General Chairperson Rick Lee. “He was a loyal member of UTU/SMART.”
Brother O’Brien is survived by his parents, Daniel and Denise (Boyce) O’Brien; wife, Catherine (Welton); son, Caiden John O’Brien; brother, Shane (Jodi) O’Brien; as well as several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents.
A visitation is scheduled Friday, May 27 at the Louisville Baptist Temple, 6565 Columbus Road NE, Louisville, OH 44641, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.. A funeral service will be held privately and he will be interred at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A fund has been set up for Erik’s son, Caiden, and checks may be made out and sent to the funeral home with the name Caiden O’Brien in the memo. The funeral home handling the fund is Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home, 75 S. Union Ave., Alliance, Ohio 44601. Memorial contributions may also be made to the NRA, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 or to Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, D.C. 20090.
