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BARGAINING UPDATE: NATIONAL CARRIERS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE GIVES
BARGAINING PRESENTATION
The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) gave a presentation
about its bargaining proposals to the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employes Division (BMWED) and SMART-Mechanical Department (SMART-MD)
Coalition on April 15, 2020.

While approximately 30,000 of Maintenance of Way and SMART-MD railroad
workers are risking their lives during the global COVID-19 pandemic to
keep American rail infrastructure maintained and safe for the continued
transportation of necessary supplies nationwide, the railroads are
working to cut your pay, slash your healthcare benefits, assign more of
your work to outside contractors and diminish your quality of life.

Railroad management is pretending that rail workers are paid in excess
of 40 percent more than the rest of the U.S. workforce. This is based
on false comparisons. The railroads are also purporting that one-third
of railroad workers' healthcare claims are unnecessary, excessive,
fraudulent and inefficient. We find fault in that statement, as well.
And a proposal to reduce access to health care is especially foolish in
a time of an unprecedented global pandemic. The railroads are also
alleging that several of the rules of each of your collective
bargaining agreements, such as your seniority and seniority districts,
the 40-hour work week, limitations on contracting out, and craft line
boundaries, need to be changed so the railroads can make even more
profits off of your labor.

"The railroads' proposals are disturbing, because they are a direct
attack on - what should be - their most valued asset: railroad workers.
But their proposals are not surprising," BMWED President Freddie N.
Simpson said. "The BMWED/SMART-MD Coalition will carefully examine each
of the NCCC's proposals and prepare a response. Being a railroader is a
full-contact sport. I would encourage the railroads to put their helmet
on and buckle their chin strap for this round."

Further information regarding national negotiations will be provided as
information develops. To stay involved and up to date with information,
please follow updates at www.bmwe.org, sign up for our email News
Alerts at the top of our website, or find updates on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/BMWEDIBT.

National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) presentations linked
below:

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