Over 12,000 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) are voting on a proposed national contract with 10 major freight railroads. Ballots were mailed on December 5, 2025. Votes will be counted on December 30. The tentative five-year agreement was reached on October 30. It includes a general wage increase of 17.5% (18.8% compounded), a $500 lump sum payment, and no changes to work rules. Other terms include an improved vacation accrual schedule, no increase in out-of-pocket health and welfare costs, and enhancements to health and welfare benefits. Employee cost sharing is capped at 15% for the contract’s duration.
Two virtual Town Hall meetings are scheduled for December 9, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. These Zoom sessions are for members who did not attend recent in-person meetings in Spokane, Washington; Alliance, Nebraska; and Kansas City, Missouri. National President Mark Wallace, who has led negotiations since May, will host the virtual meetings and answer questions.
Members can register for the Zoom Town Halls on the BLET National Division website. Questions for the sessions can be submitted by email until 11:00 a.m. on December 7. Ratification packets sent to members include the full tentative agreement, a summary, rate tables, a Q&A document, and the official ballot…