SMART MD ratifies 5 year agreement with BNSF Railway to increase wages

News marks fourth union ratification agreement in recent weeks

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 4, 2024 - BNSF Railway announced today members of The International Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department (MD) voted to ratify a new agreement with the Class I railroad to increase wages, accelerate paid vacation accrual and add other contractual improvements.

The news comes a month ahead of the opening of the next collective bargaining round and provides a 3.5-percent average wage increase per year over the next five years. It also offers railroaders more vacation earlier in their career and makes meaningful enhancements to an already robust suite of health care benefits.

The announcement follows the ratification of labor agreements with three other labor unions, The American Trains Dispatchers Association (ATDA), The Transportation and Communications Union (TCU) and Brotherhood Railway Carmen, (BRC).

Contact:
Kendall Kirkham Sloan
Director, External Communications
[email protected]