Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

CLEVELAND, September 7 Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) Railroad on August 23.

The new agreement provides for 14.5 percent general wage increases as well as retroactive pay dating back 21 months. The five -year deal will cover nearly 300 locomotive engineers and trainmen on the DM&E South portion of the railroad (the former Iowa, Chicago & Eastern, or IC&E).

Members will receive general wage increases of 3 percent for each of the first four years of the contract, followed by a 2.5 percent in the last year of the deal. Members will also receive equity rate adjustments of up to $2 per day in the third, fourth and fifth years of the agreement. The equity rate adjustments will be made after calculation of the general wage increases.

It was a long and difficult negotiating process but we secured the best contract possible under the current economic climate, BLET General Chairman Mike Priester said.

The extra board guarantee increased 8% under the new contract, retroactive to July 1, 2010. Additionally, away from home expenses will increase by $2 by the end of the contract.

The BLET also secured major improvements to grievance procedures regarding time claims and discipline cases. The new contract also provides for important extended service payments for road crews who hand off their trains outside of terminals. Prior to the latest contract, the carrier did not recognize terminal limits.

Improved off-track vehicle insurance and accident benefits are also a part of the new agreement.

A major part of the new deal, which will stabilize representation at the local level, is a union shop provision that calls for all locomotive engineers and trainmen on the property to become BLET members in good standing within 90 days of the contracts ratification. The contract also obligates the carrier to provide for electronic payroll deduction of dues.

General Chairman Priester thanked Vice President Mike Twombly for his assisting during the early stages of negotiations, and also Vice President Merle Geiger for his leadership during the final stages that led to the tentative agreement.

Brother Priester also thanked the Local Chairmen of the BLET Divisions throughout the property: Mark Johnson, Division 117 (Mason City, Iowa); Chris Pacha, Division 200 (Davenport, Iowa); and Joe Niehaus, Division 296 (Marquette, Iowa). He also recognized Adam Farence, Division 266 (Savannah, Ill.); and Tom Marshall, Division 393 (Kansas City, Mo.).

BLET National President Dennis Pierce thanked all involved in working to secure an agreement for the BLET members on the DM&E.

Whether it be internal votes, the election of officers, or a contract vote such as this one, when the members have the right to vote, we must all support the will of the majority after the votes are cast and counted. The DM&E members have spoken with their vote and the National Division stands ready to assist them in any way that we can going forward, Pierce said.

The DM&E has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific since October 30, 2008. The DM&E South (former IC&E) covers 1,400 miles of track in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010
bentley@ble.org