**Union Pacific Workers Ratify Five-Year Agreement Boosting Wages and Benefits**
Union Pacific workers have decisively voted to ratify a new five-year agreement that significantly boosts wages and benefits, the SMART-TD union announced Friday. Over 80% of ballots cast were in favor of the agreement, according to union spokesman Dan Banks.
SMART-TD (the Transportation Division of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers) represents locomotive conductors working out of Bailey Yard and other railroad yards. Banks explained that the contract includes a compounded wage increase of 18.77% over the five-year duration of the agreement, as outlined in a national SMART-TD agreement ratified on October 30.
The new agreement is the result of nearly a year of negotiations. Members will benefit from strengthened health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision plans, improved vacation accrual, and additional quality-of-life enhancements.
Key provisions of the agreement include:
– Ending Union Pacific’s practice of deducting “outside earnings” from back pay awards in wrongful termination cases.
– Ensuring that fully reinstated members are made whole by reimbursing medical premiums and expenses incurred while awaiting arbitration decisions.
– Expanding meal allowances to better reflect the changing costs rail workers face while on duty.
“This ratification reflects our members’ unified voice and confidence in what was negotiated,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said. “The decisive support underscores a shared commitment to preserving good jobs, strong benefits, and fairness for all members working on Union Pacific.”
With the ratification confirmed, the tentative agreement (TA) becomes binding, and UP-employed SMART-TD members will begin receiving the agreed-upon wages and benefits.
Union leaders encourage all members to review the full text of the agreement, including the wage schedule, benefit provisions, and protections.
For more information, members should consult the official SMART-TD communications and resources.
https://northplattebulletin.com/transportation-workers-reach-wage-benefit-deal-with-up/