Rail Carriers’ outright rejection of Rail Labor’s proposed ‘ground rules’ derails negotiations
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 11 – The second bargaining session over changes in wages and work rules of the national rail carriers concluded prematurely on March 9 when the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC), representing the Class One carriers, refused to entertain or even discuss ground rules for negotiations proposed by the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC), representing seven rail unions comprised of 85,000 rail workers. The RLBC proposed the ground rules after questions regarding the bargaining process were raised at the first negotiating session, held 1/24/2005. At yesterday’s meeting, the rail carriers’ chief negotiator, Robert Allen, said, “There will be no ground rules for these negotiations.”
“By refusing to even discuss the Rail Labor Coalition’s proposed ground rules, the rail carriers have gotten these negotiations off on the wrong track,” said George Francisco, coordinator of the Coalition and President of the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (SEIU). “These ground rules are an attempt to clarify the process in which seven rail unions are bargaining in concert.”
The proposed Ground Rules simply covered the following eight issues:
– Who each side represented;
– Who would participate in negotiations;
– The advance notification of presentations by experts;
– The scheduling of negotiations;
– The alignment of common and craft-specific issues so the suitable representatives would be available;
– Mutually agreeing upon negotiation locations and provisions for bargaining and caucus rooms and the sharing of expenses;
– Provisions for information sharing and confidentiality agreements; and
– The finalization of contract language and the process for the ratification of the contract by the members of the coalition.
“Since the