Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD reach yardmaster sick leave deal, completing negotiations with all unions

Norfolk Southern Corporation and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers — Transportation Division (SMART-TD) announced today that they have reached an agreement with representatives for their final group of craft employees – yardmasters – to provide up to seven paid sick days per year.

The agreement will immediately provide nearly 300 Norfolk Southern yardmasters with four new days of paid sick leave per year while also offering them the flexibility to use up to three additional days of existing paid time off as sick leave.

With this agreement, Norfolk Southern is the first Class I railroad to have negotiated paid sick leave agreements for 100 percent of its craft workforce.

"This agreement will provide our hardworking yardmasters the time they need and deserve to take care of their personal wellbeing," said Jeremy Ferguson, President of SMART-TD. "I want to thank Norfolk Southern for their partnership on this deal, and for leading the industry as the first railroad to sign sick leave agreements for every one of our dedicated union members. And most importantly, I want to thank our SMART-TD general chairmen, Joe Borders and Dan Weir, for negotiating this important new benefit for Norfolk Southern yardmasters."

This final paid sick leave agreement for yardmasters builds on the momentum from the comprehensive quality-of-life package that Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD negotiated last month for another group of SMART-TD members – conductors and trainmen. The conductor and trainmen agreement, which included paid sick leave, was ratified by union membership last Friday.

"Following national labor negotiations, we committed to address quality of life issues for our craft railroaders. With today's agreement, we make good on that promise," said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw. "I am proud of our team for working collaboratively with union leadership over the last four months to reach agreements that benefit all of our craft colleagues."

Although this agreement is an important milestone for paid sick leave, Norfolk Southern remains actively engaged with all its labor partners to further explore and negotiate the quality-of-life benefits that will have the greatest positive impact for its employees and position Norfolk Southern as an industry leader and employer of choice.