Intermodal union, BNSF in new pact

95% of railroad's employees under current or tentative contracts

BNSF's Corwith intermodal terminal in Chicago. (Screengrab from AAR video)

BNSF Railway said it has reached a new five-year, collective bargaining agreement with members of the Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU) intermodal group.

The agreement covers 746 union employees at BNSF Cicero, Corwith, Seattle, and Memphis Intermodal facilities. 

BNSF (NYSE: BRK-B), based in Fort Worth, Texas, said that the agreement calls for a pay raise of 17.5% over five years, retroactive to July 1, 2025. It also includes vacation enhancements and preserves health care benefits. It is subject to ratification by members.

“This new tentative agreement reflects the vital role our TCU intermodal team members play in our operation,” said BNSF President and Chief Executive Katie Farmer, in a release. “Open, honest collaboration is the foundation of our success, and this marks our unwavering commitment to maintaining exceptional safety and service for our customers.”

TCU/IAM National President Matt Hollis praised the union’s bargaining committee for obtaining a “fair agreement” with “real gains,” Farmer and the railroad’s labor relations team.

BNSF said the tentative agreement follows the same terms as the current national pattern. A total of 95% of the company’s workforce and 12 of the 13 represented unions are now covered by either ratified or tentative agreements.

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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.