Reversing a decades-long trend of sub-contracting locomotive maintenance work in the rail sector, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced an historic deal with CSX in the Huntington, West Virginia plant.
“This is a huge win for IAM members,” said IAM District 19 President Jeff Doerr. “This deal will bring all four-axle locomotive rebuilds in-house to Huntington for the first time. I’d like to thank all IAM members for their patience and unity, and I would also like to extend a special thanks the Transportation Communications Union-Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (TCU-BRC), the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) for their cooperation in negotiating this agreement.”
The multi-union effort headed by the IAM and TCU forged a four-year contract that improves wages, provides a signing bonus, offers enhanced job security and maintains all benefits levels for approximately 85 IAM members. The insourcing of maintenance work is expected to add hundreds of IAM jobs.
“I’d like to thank District 19 for a job well done,” said General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “We often hear of the need for good middle-class jobs that Americans and their families can depend on, and we achieved that in these negotiations.”
