Jacksonville, Florida – On August 22, 2024, American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) reached a tentative five-year agreement with CSX to increase wages and expand paid sick leave to cover all Train Dispatchers. The agreement’s wage increases of 17.5% over five years (compounding to 18.77%) are the largest received by CSX Dispatchers in any round of bargaining outside a Presidential Emergency Board in over 20 years.
But, the wage increases are not the only recent-historic high point for the ATDA’s CSX System members. That is because the agreement also marks the first opportunity in 20 years for all covered Dispatchers to have paid sick leave. While those hired prior to 2004 already had this benefit, those hired since will be granted 5 paid sick days annually, once the agreement is ratified.
ATDA President Ed Dowell commented on the Agreement by saying, “First of all, I commend ATDA Vice President Colin Thurman and General Chairman Ben Craft for their work in getting this done for our members. Obtaining wage increases and expanding paid sick leave to cover everyone on the property is a huge deal. But I’d also like to thank CSX Vice President of Labor Relations, Jeff Wall, for working with ATDA to do the right thing. This agreement proves that endless delays and arbitration aren’t inevitable. We can work together and find mutual benefit.
ATDA Vice President Colin Thurman, who served as the Organization’s national representative in negotiations with CSX, had the following to say about the Agreement’s significance, “I can’t recall a time in my career when a railroad union came to an agreement on pay raises before the end of our current contract. Our members deserve to receive pay increases on time, rather than wait years for national bargaining to conclude. For our members that did not have paid sick benefits, this agreement provides much needed relief. General Chairman Craft was determined to get the best deal for CSX members and he should be proud this accomplishment”
CSX System General Chairman Ben Craft, ATDA’s lead local representative in negotiations, added the following, “We’ve been at the bargaining table with CSX for the last six months, focused on the goal of obtaining improvements to our Collective Bargaining Agreement. It went down to the wire, but in the end, we were able to secure an agreement on the local level for the first time in a long time. It’s going to make things better for our members, and that’s what matters. I’d like to thank Vice Presidents Thurman and Denucci for being a valuable part of this effort.”