Labor unions and worker strikes are becoming major supply chain disruptions causing delays at the present time. With first the COVID-19 pandemic, then the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and various natural calamities in between, workers have been demanding increased days off, better working conditions, etc. Through December 2022 and into January 2023, there were serious concerns about a rail strike that could bring the US economy to halt. Now, BNSF and Norfolk Southern reach sick leave agreements with several unions in continuing negotiations. 

BNSF (NYSE: BRK.B) reached sick leave agreements with members of the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO). The agreement with TCU is for insourced intermodal equipment operators, which BNSF says represent a majority of that union’s members at the railroad. Other TCU members at BNSF already have paid sick days as part of their existing agreement, according to the railroad. 

These agreements are part of a collaborative effort aimed toward modernizing the work environment and addressing quality of life, according to BNSF executives. The railroad added that it is continuing dialogue with other unions about paid sick leave days. BNSF’s two agreements call for an additional four paid sick days, plus the ability to convert three personal leave days to sick leave. 

NCFO confirmed it reached an agreement with BNSF. Its union members will accrue 32 hours of paid sick time. The agreement with BNSF was not the only one recently reached by NCFO.

NCFO also completed a deal with NS (NYSE: NSC) for paid time off for illness and wellness. The union described those terms as the same as the deal reached with BNSF. With these latest deals, all four of the major US Class I railroads — BNSF, NS, Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP), and CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) — have reached sick agreements with at least two rail labor unions.