CSX announces agreement on paid sick leave with BMWED and BRC

A major source of contention between United States Class I railroads and 12 railroad labor unions leading up to the brokered deal between the parties,in order to avert a strike, in early December, focused on the number of sick days railroad workers were allowed to have.

Signs of progress on that front were made clear this week, with Jacksonville-based Class I freight railroad carrier CSX saying it has come to terms on agreements for two unions—the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way (BMWED), which represents engineering employees, and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), which represents mechanical workers—with both unions representing around a cumulative 5,000 railroad workers.

CSX officials said that nearly 4,000 BMWED and more 1,000 BRC workers are employed with CSX, adding that the company has great respect for the work performed by its front-line employees to provide safe, reliable rail service for the nation, and will continue to pursue similar agreements with its remaining unions.

“CSX is committed to listening to our railroaders and working with their representatives to find solutions that improve their quality of life and experience as employees,” said Joe Hinrichs, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSX, in a statement. “These agreements demonstrate that commitment and are a direct result of the collaborative relationship we are working to cultivate with all of the unions that represent CSX employees. We greatly appreciate the leadership of the BMWED and BRC in working towards these agreements.”

As for the terms of the agreement, effective January 1, 2023 and for each year after, BMWED and BRC employees working for CSX will receive four paid sick days annually and also have the ability to take up to three paid personal leave days per year for sick paid time off.

BMWED said that this agreement also provides for employees to contribute unused paid sick leave to their 401(k) or receive the pay out of unused paid sick leave each year. And it added that the paid personal leave comes voluntarily from CSX, without the demand of any concessions from the Union.
“I want to personally thank CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs and COO Jamie Boychuk for reaching the paid sick leave agreement with BMWED,” BMWED President Tony D. Cardwell said in a statement. “Joe gave me his word that he would bring about changes to the industry that are necessary to begin repairing the dysfunctional relationship between the railroads and the Workers. I applaud Joe for delivering on his word and entering into this historic agreement with BMWED. He is doing the right thing, and I look forward to working with Joe on other matters that are critical to Maintenance of Way Employees. The other Class I railroads just reported extremely healthy earnings for 2022, many of which were record setting, and the Workers are the people responsible for those profits. Other than absolute greed, there is no reason why the other Class I railroads cannot enter into an identical paid sick leave Agreement with BMWED, or any other Rail Union for that matter, especially in light of what CSX and the BMWED have done today. I strongly encourage the other Class I railroads to follow the tracks that CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs has laid by reaching an identical Agreement for paid sick leave with BMWED.”