ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, July 31, 1996 TAG: 9607310078
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees union and Conrail said Tuesday they had resolved their differences, clearing the way for a collective bargaining agreement between the union, which represents 28,000 track maintenance workers, and the nation's major railroads, including Norfolk Southern Corp.
The agreement, following nearly two years of bargaining, is the last to be concluded between major rail unions and the railroads and means that a national rail strike or lockout should be avoided this year.
After the BMWE and other railroads had agreed to the contract terms July 22, the union said that Conrail, which it characterized as a "renegade carrier," was threatening the agreement by refusing to accept its job-security provisions. The union said it would not enter an agreement with the other carriers while Conrail attempted to hold out in hopes of getting a better deal through arbitration.
"In the end, the [bargaining] process worked for the carriers, for the unions and for the country," said Robert Allen, chairman of the National Carriers Conference Committee. The committee represented seven major railroads and 28 smaller lines in the bargaining.
LENGTH: Short : 31 linesby CNB