Norfolk Southern Corp engined wagon passes through the Lamberts Point coal handling facility in Norfolk, Virginia on Wednesday, March 17, 2010.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
South Norfolk he said it on Wednesday agreed to deliver as much as seven paid sick days per yr for members of the International Brotherhood of Tinkers and Blacksmiths.
The agreement provides Norfolk Southern’s mechanical railroad employees with 4 paid sick days per yr, along with the three existing paid holidays that may now be used as sick days. The IBBB is now the ninth of 12 unions in Norfolk Southern to have negotiated paid sick days, benefiting roughly 6,000 employees.
The move comes after months of fighting between unions and railroad authorities – including Norfolk Southern, Pacific Union and BNSF – overpaid sick leave. President Joe Biden signed laws in late 2022 to stop a nationwide railroad strike. Nevertheless, the laws didn’t include paid sick leave.
Norfolk Southern announced the deal as the corporate grapples with the political and environmental effects of the derailment of a train carrying toxic materials last month in eastern Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border. Company and government officials said it was secure to live in the world after the disaster, although some employees and residents complained of ailments. Ohio sued the corporate on Tuesday.
The paid sick leave deal got here two days after Norfolk Southern struck deals with the Carmen Railroad Brotherhood and the International Association of Aerospace Mechanics and Employees. Last week, the corporate announced agreements with the International Association of Body Employees, Aerospace, Rail, Transportation, the Mechanical Department and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Employees.
The corporate reached an agreement with two other unions in February, while two others already had access to paid sickness advantages.
“We proceed to make progress to enhance the standard of life for our craft railway employees in partnership with our unions,” said Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern. “Our railroad employees are helping fuel the US economy, and every of those latest deals helps give them much more time to administer their health and wellness.”
Norfolk Southern has not commented on anything aside from previously released statements.
In February, Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Mike Braun, R-Ind., required railroad carriers to supply employees not less than seven paid sick days. Sanders urged rail firms to “do the suitable thing” while mentioning record profits for carriers. Sanders’ office reported that railroad firms spend 184% more on shareholder returns than on worker compensation and advantages.
“Ultimately, in 2023, it’s unacceptable that employees doing hazardous work should not have one sick day,” Sanders said on the time.
– Lori Ann LaRocco of CNBC contributed to this report.