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Norfolk Southern on Wednesday became the third major railroad to recently offer some of its employees paid sick leave.
It was a contentious issue in rail contract negotiations last year.
The offer is a response to quality of life complaints raised during contract talks.
The agreement provides for about 3,000 track maintenance workers in the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division to be put on sick leave.
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Norfolk Southern locomotives are moved at the Conway Terminal in Conway, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar/AP Newsroom)
The railroad was the subject of the fiery derailment in eastern Ohio earlier this month.
BMWED union spokesman Clark Ballew said the sick leave will be particularly welcome for workers rebuilding the line after the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
“It is imperative that they have resources available to keep them safe and healthy in a location that many would be afraid to work in,” Ballew said. “Paid sick leave is one of those resources, but there are a few others, and we expect NS to do the right thing by its employees and the public and provide whatever resources are needed to not aggravate an already bad situation.”
Drone footage shows a freight train derailing in eastern Palestine, Ohio. (NTSBGov/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)
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Freight railroads CSX and Union Pacific reached similar agreements this month.
Employees receive four paid sick days per year and have the option to convert three of their personal vacation days into sick days.
The railways reached these agreements without demanding any concessions from the unions.
Sick leave agreements do not apply to train attendants who are on call around the clock. But the railroads have said they are negotiating this with all their unions.
Freight cars and containers at the Norfolk Southern Railroad’s Conway Yard in Conway, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File/AP Newsroom)
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Late last year, the industry was pushed to the brink of a strike that had the potential to cripple the US economy.
| ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPC | NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORP. | 222.07 | -2.53 | -1.13% |
| CSX | CSX CORP. | 29.99 | -0.60 | -1.96% |
| UNP | UNION PACIFIC CORP. | 191.37 | -2.39 | -1.23% |
Paid sick leave and demanding schedules were a big problem.
Congress had to step in to stop a strike and force the workers to accept a five-year contract that included a 24 percent raise and $5,000 in bonuses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
