(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
BNSF Railway and three more of its unions have agreed to an additional four paid days off to use as sick days. The unions are the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, and the mechanical and engineering department of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART-MD).
The Transportation Communications Union, and the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers had already agreed to additional paid sick leave in February .
“BNSF remains committed to continued dialogue, including the potential addition of paid sick days for those crafts that did not already have individual paid sick days prior to the recent national bargaining round,” the railroad stated in a news release.
Starting in December of last year, District 19 set up meetings with BNSF to talk about a number of important issues, including paid sick time. Through a number of in-person meetings and Zoom calls, District 19 leadership was victorious in achieving paid sick time for our members while protecting all other negotiated benefits.
“This is a historic win for our members as we have been fighting for paid sick time for quite some time,” IAM District 19 BNSF Lead General Chairman Kenny Krause said.
District 19 was also able to make improvements and modernize the agreement by incorporating electronic mailing, allowing for better and faster transfer of information. This will also help to speed up the claims process.
© 2023 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.