The agreement, affecting almost 43,000 UTU members employed by most of the nation’s major railroads, plus numerous short lines, was ratified by 60 percent of those who voted. Votes were counted and reported by the American Arbitration Association, which conducted the entire voting process.

The new agreement was ratified by each of the UTU’s six autonomous crafts -- brakemen, conductors, engineers, firemen, yardmen and yardmasters -- which is required under the UTU Constitution.

“The majority of our members understand the health-care crisis in the United States today and responded by controlling their own destiny,” said UTU International President Byron A. Boyd Jr. “This agreement is better than any other rail organization has achieved and better than anything else out there – bar none.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our negotiating team of Assistant President Paul Thompson, General Secretary and Treasurer Dan Johnson, vice presidents Jim Cumby, Rick Marceau and Arty Martin, and General Chairperson Terry Reed for their creative approach and use of interest-based bargaining to produce this superior agreement,” Boyd said. He also praised the dozens of local, general committee and international leaders “who worked so diligently to explain this agreement to members.” The pact was overwhelmingly supported by UTU general chairpersons.

Unlike other rail organizations, the UTU agreement doesn’t permanently give up future wage increases to keep health care, it doesn’t require members to make retroactive payments to the carriers, and it doesn’t give up the entire value of future COLAs.

This was the second major national rail agreement ratified by the UTU membership in the past 15 months. A wage and rules agreement was ratified in August 2002. These are the only two national rail agreements ratified by the membership in the 34-year history of the UTU.

Final certification will be issued by the American Arbitration Association and details will be provided as soon as possible.