September 15, 2026
Washington, D.C. – On September 15, 2026, the National Mediation Board (NMB) announced that Railroad Clerks and Train Dispatchers from the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) have voted to unionize with the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA). Remarkably, every ballot cast in the representational election favored organizing with ATDA.
Based at the IAIS headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the newly organized workers play a vital role in the Class II railroad’s operations between Chicago, Illinois, and Omaha, Nebraska. Awarded as Railway Age’s “Regional Railroad of the Year” in 2025, IAIS is a successful and growing Class II railroad connecting the Chicago and Omaha markets. The railroad has continued to invest toward expanded capacity, resulting in recent gains among its intermodal and agricultural traffic.
As IAIS has grown, so too have the demands placed on the Railroad Clerks and Train Dispatchers who keep its operations moving safely and efficiently. The IAIS employees sought ATDA representation to ensure that their interests keep pace with that growth and that they have a meaningful voice in the decisions affecting their livelihoods. Through collective bargaining, these employees will now have the opportunity to pursue contractual protections for their wages, benefits, and working conditions while contributing to the continued success of the railroad.
“Today’s vote is about giving the Railroad Clerks and Train Dispatchers at Iowa Interstate a real voice in their workplace and a seat at the table when decisions are made that affect their careers and their families,” said ATDA President Ed Dowell. “These employees have helped make Iowa Interstate a successful and growing railroad, and they deserve to share in that success through fair wages, strong benefits, and dependable workplace protections. We are proud that they chose ATDA to represent them, and we look forward to standing together as we negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement.”
ATDA Secretary-Treasurer Bill Sikes, who led the organizing drive at IAIS, added the following, “Congratulations to the IAIS Railroad Clerks and Train Dispatchers! We are honored to welcome you to ATDA and look forward to making your voices heard in the years to come.”
