Railroad Machinists to Vote Contract Offer

"We have repeatedly rejected the offer as inadequate and notified both the Carriers' negotiators and the National Mediation Board that IAM members would never accept such a proposal," said IAM District 19 President Robert Reynolds. "However, the membership has both a right and an obligation to vote on the proposal."

The Carriers' proposal mirrors a recent arbitrator-imposed contract between the NCCC and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU). The Machinists Union is distributing details of the Carriers' final offer directly to IAM members.

"The Machinists Union is committed to taking all steps necessary to ensure our members receive an agreement worthy of their ratification," said IAM General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. "A commitment to good-faith bargaining by the Carriers is required to make that happen. Trying to force the product of another Union's arbitration on our membership is not the way to bring these negotiations to closure."

Negotiations have been ongoing since December 1999, while the contract became amendable in January 2000. Voting will commence immediately, and results will be announced on September 15, 2003. A separate but simultaneous vote will take place to authorize a strike if necessary to secure an agreement.

The IAM represents more than 7,500 Railroad Machinists at Class I Freight Carriers, which are defined as U.S. freight railroads with operating revenue in excess of $261.9 million. Class I Carriers involved in these negotiations are Union Pacific Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern Combined Railroad Subsidiaries, CSX Transportation, The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company, Kansas City Southern Railway Company and all their subsidiaries.