Union Pacific Reaches Agreement With 2 Unions on Paid Sick Leave Days

A Union Pacific freight train passes west of San Bernardino, Calif., on May 15, 2008. David McNew/Getty Images

The Union Pacific Railroad Company announced this week that it has reached voluntary agreements with two of its unions, and approving paid sick leave for 2,100 rail workers.

In a statement on Feb. 20, the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC) said the deal will add four new days of sick leave each year, noting that workers’ salaries will be fully paid at their rate of pay.

In addition, the agreement will also provide employees with the opportunity to use their personal leave days for sick leave.

“We are extremely proud of the progress that BRC continues to make on behalf of our members. This agreement recognizes the need for railroad workers to have paid sick leave and secures this very important benefit for our members working at Union Pacific,” said BRC General President Don Grissom.

“Union Pacific did the right thing by coming to the bargaining table and reaching a fair agreement,” he continued. “We look forward to continuing to work with the other Carriers to reach similar agreements for all our members.”

A similar agreement, which will take effect on April 1, was made with the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO), according to a Feb. 20 statement.

“The number of hours of paid days for sick time off accrued for each NCFO member shall be prorated to 24 hours in 2023,” the union stated. “In 2024, each NCFO Member will accrue 32 hours of paid sick time. Each NCFO member shall be permitted to use paid sick time in a minimum of half-day or one-day increments.”

NCFO President Dean Devita commended the agreement with Union Pacific, one of America’s largest railway companies, saying the deal was “bargained in good faith” with NCFO members.

“I applaud Union Pacific for coming to the bargaining table and adjusting this wrong and making it right,” Devita stated.

“It is time for all the railroads to stop avoiding this issue and follow the lead of Union Pacific and join the NCFO at the bargaining table to do what is right for their employees and the NCFO Members,” Devita continued. “If they continue to refuse, we will take this fight back to Congress and expose any railroad that won’t enter into a sick leave agreement, it makes more sense reaching agreement across the bargaining table, but if not, we will do what we have to do.”

According to a Bloomberg report, Union Pacific said the two unions represent about 8 percent of the company’s total workforce, noting that negotiations are still ongoing with other unions in hopes of reaching similar agreements.

Union Pacific works with 14 major rail unions that represent about 85 percent of roughly 42,000 full-time employees, according to the company’s website.

From NTD News