A Norfolk Southern Corp. engine automotive moves through the Lamberts Point coal transloading facility in Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 17, 2010.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Norfolk Southern said Wednesday it agreed to supply as much as seven paid sick days per years for members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths.
The deal provides Norfolk Southern’s mechanical railroaders with 4 paid sick days per yr, along with three existing days of paid day off that may now be used as sick days. The IBBB is now the ninth of Norfolk Southern’s 12 unions which have negotiated paid sick days, benefitting about 6,000 employees.
The move comes after months of fighting between unions and railraods – including Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and BNSF – over paid sick leave. President Joe Biden signed a bill at the top of 2022 to avert a nationwide rail strike. The laws, nevertheless, didn’t include paid sick leave.
Norfolk Southern announced the deal as the corporate contends with political and environmental fallout from a final month’s derailment of a train carrying toxic materials in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border. Company and government officials have said it’s protected to live in the world following the disaster, although some employees and residents have complained of ailments. Ohio sued the corporate Tuesday.
The paid sick leave agreement comes two days after Norfolk Southern reached deals with the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Employees. Last week, the corporate announced agreements with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Employees, Mechanical Department and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Employees.
The corporate reached deals with two other unions in February, while two others already had access to paid sick leave advantages.
“We proceed to make strides to enhance the standard of lifetime of our craft railroaders in partnership with our unions,” said Norfolk Southern CEOÂ Alan Shaw. “Our railroaders help drive the American economy forward, and every of those recent agreements helps be sure that they’ve much more time to administer their personal health and well-being.”
Norfolk Southern didn’t comment beyond its previously released statements.
In February, Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Mike Braun, R-Ind., demanded railroad carriers offer employees no less than seven paid sick days. Sanders urged rail firms to “do the best thing” while mentioning the carriers’ record profits. Sanders’ office said that rail firms spent 184% more on shareholder returns than employees’ wages and advantages.
“At the top of the day, in 2023, it is just not acceptable to have employees that do dangerous work to not get one sick day,” Sanders said on the time.
–CNBC’s Lori Ann LaRocco contributed to this report.
