BNSF Railway Workers Ratify New Labor Agreements

BNSF Railway has successfully ratified a five-year labor agreement with the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART), which includes a 3.5% annual wage increase and improved health care benefits. The ATDA's deal allows for accelerated vacation accrual and represents a significant wage increase of 42% over the past decade. BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer expressed gratitude to the labor leaders for their collaboration and emphasized the importance of caring for employees. The agreements were ratified by substantial margins, with the ATDA achieving nearly two-thirds support. Additionally, the SMART members also secured similar benefits across multiple rail carriers, highlighting a trend of improved labor conditions in the freight industry. These agreements set a positive precedent as the next round of collective bargaining approaches.