Atlanta, Georgia – On 10/3/2024, members of the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) voted in overwhelming favor (over 80% of the ballots cast) of ratifying a 5-year agreement with Norfolk Southern (NS) to increase wages and address quality of life issues. The agreement includes general wage increases of 17.5% over five years (before compounding), as well as a market rate wage adjustment to better align the compensation of NS Dispatchers with their Class I counterparts.
Altogether, the total compensation package marks the largest total wage increase for NS dispatchers in any round of bargaining in over 25 years (excluding those obtained through Presidential Emergency Board 250 in 2022). It also represents the first comprehensive agreement reached between the parties outside of national bargaining since 2009. In addition to the wage increases, the NS deal features several important work rule improvements. Among these are important enhancements to agreement language covering vacation, sick leave, and scheduling.
The ratification announcement is ATDA’s second of the day, as it also announced that its members on the BNSF system have voted to ratify a similar agreement. Attention now turns to ATDA’s members on the CSX system, with results of their own ratification vote scheduled to be released next week.
Commenting on the latest ratification news, ATDA President Ed Dowell said “As I said when we initially reached this agreement, a comprehensive agreement was long overdue. For decades, our NS members have lagged behind other Class-I railroads in wages and other benefits. This agreement changes that and brings them in line with their Class-I counterparts. I commend ATDA Vice President Brandon Denucci, General Chairman Nick Serrano, and System Treasurer Craig Duncan for all their hard work and dedication and getting this agreement reached and ratified.”
ATDA Vice President Brandon Denucci, who represents the NS members, added, “I’d like to congratulate General Chairman Serrano for his efforts in delivering an agreement to the members that addressed their highest priorities. The overwhelming results speak for themselves.”
NS General Chairman Nick Serrano, the Organization’s lead local representative, went on to say “After months of negotiations, we reached what I believe is a historic agreement and the overwhelming response from our members to ratify it reinforced the efforts of the entire bargaining team including VP Brandon Denucci, System Treasurer Craig Duncan, and VP Colin Thurman. Not only is this agreement rare in that it was reached before the previous agreement expired, but it adds considerable quality of life and wages to current and future Train Dispatchers on our property.”