After more than two years of fruitless negotiations with the various class 1 railroads and after three weeks of in-person meetings in Washington, DC, the National Mediation Board has offered arbitration to rail unions, including the IAM, Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and TCU/IAM Brotherhood Railway Carmen Division (BRC) members.
All unions in our coalition plan to reject the arbitration offer, which under the Railway Labor Act sets the stage for President Biden to appoint a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) to hear the dispute.
“After three years of needless stalling from rail carriers, the National Mediation Board has found that a voluntary agreement is simply not possible,” said TCU/IAM National President Arthur Maratea. “We look forward to continuing to advocate forcefully for our membership in this new stage of negotiations.”
“Our skilled and dedicated membership has worked tirelessly, through a pandemic and without a raise, to keep our nation’s rail system moving,” said Josh Hartford, IAM Special Assistant to the International President. “We will work side by side with every rail union to obtain the best possible agreement for our membership.”
More information will be provided to the membership as soon as it is available.