Union Pacific has reached a sick leave agreement with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), the union group that represents train conductors.

The tentative agreement, which would affect around 5,900 employees, provides up to eight paid sick leave days, UP (NYSE: UNP) said Sunday. The agreement consists of five additional paid sick days annually that would be prorated for 2023, and then the potential to convert up to three paid leave days as paid sick time in 2023, UP said.

If SMART-TD members ratify this contract, UP will have sick leave agreements for all 13 of its labor unions. UP would be the second U.S.-based Class I railroad to do so, following Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC).

“I want to thank SMART-TD leadership for their support as we work together to create an environment where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to deliver exceptional service to our customers,” UP President and CEO Lance Fritz said in a release. “We are committed to continued collaboration with our labor partners and employees to further identify opportunities that support our best-in-class workforce.”

SMART-TD members have already ratified two sick leave agreements, one with NS and the other involving some members working for CSX (NASDAQ: CSX).  Some union members also received additional sick leave with BNSF (NYSE: BRK-B). 

Meanwhile, discussions on scheduled rest between UP and SMART-TD are ongoing, UP said Sunday. UP described scheduled rest as allowing employees to have more predictable schedules while enabling the railroad to better manage staffing levels. In May, UP reached a deal on scheduling with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, another union whose members tend to have schedules in flux.

Subscribe to FreightWaves’ e-newsletters and get the latest insights on freight right in your inbox

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Joanna Marsh.

Related links:

Norfolk Southern reaches sick leave agreements with 100% of craft workforce

Union members at CSX, CN ratify labor agreements

2 craft unions press senators to act on rail safety bill

Rail unions urge Biden to keep current STB chair at helm

The post Union Pacific and SMART-TD hash out sick leave deal appeared first on FreightWaves.

Similar Posts

Scopelitis co-director: False hours-of-service log reports rise despite ELDs

By

INDIANAPOLIS — The full implementation of the federal ELD rule dates back to December 2019, but that hasn’t stopped hours-of-service violations from racking up, P. Sean Garney noted in a presentation at the Scopelitis Transportation Law Seminar. The working theory always was that the tight, immutable data on HOS generated by an ELD would reduce…

FedEx advises UPS shippers to get on board now

By

FedEx Corp. advised shippers on Thursday that they should begin shipping now with the company if they are concerned about service disruptions arising from a possible Teamsters union strike Aug. 1 of UPS Inc. In a communique Thursday, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) said that the company’s priority is “protecting capacity and service for existing customers.” Customers…

DOT tangles with watchdog over $1.5 billion in freight grants

By

WASHINGTON — A new federal watchdog report criticizes the U.S. Department of Transportation for not properly documenting how it prioritizes funding for major infrastructure projects involving highways, ports and freight rail — but DOT disagrees with the assessment. The report, published and sent to Congress on Wednesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), concluded…

Ship queues mount as dockworker strike in Canada drags on

By

Canada’s two largest Pacific ports — Vancouver and Prince Rupert — remained at a standstill Friday as a strike by the port workers’ union hit the one-week mark. Ships are beginning to pile up at anchorages and rail operations serving the U.S. have effectively halted. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) claimed Thursday that…

Marten’s net income drops by more than half from a year earlier

By

Truckload carrier Marten Transport saw its fourth-quarter net income decline by more than half from the corresponding quarter of 2022. The financial report reflected about what one would expect from a truckload carrier in the middle of a freight recession. Revenue was down across the board at the company. At Marten’s Truckload division, operating revenue…

Leave a Reply