Bedford Park, Illinois – On 10/18/2024, the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) reached a tentative 5-year agreement with the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) that will increase wages, provide healthcare enhancements, and add other contractual improvements. The wage increases established by the agreement total 17.5% over 5 years, with a frontloaded raise schedule that compounds to 18.77%. Additionally, the agreement accelerates the paid vacation accrual schedule, so Dispatchers reach each service threshold faster.
The agreement will now be submitted for ratification by ATDA’s members at BRC. Similar agreements reached by the union were recently ratified by its members at BNSF, CSX (South), and NS.