Eligible Illinois Railway members who have not received a ballot by August 5 should call the National Division. Photo by Danny Higgins
Ballots were mailed last week to BLET members regarding a tentative five-year agreement with the Illinois Railway (IR). If ratified by the members, the tentative contract would provide full retroactive pay from March of 2025, a $1,000 signing bonus, and general wage increases over the life of the agreement, which would run through the year 2029. Also, the TA would establish a $250.00 per quarter attendance bonus. There are no concessions in the tentative agreement.
The negotiating team consisted of General Chairman Dan Wells, Vice General Chairman Dustin Stadie, National Vice President Randy Fannon, and recently-retired National Vice President Pete Semenek. A subsidiary of OmniTRAX, the IR operates over 113 miles of track in north central Illinois and provides rail service to some of the largest sand mining operations in the United States.
Note to IR members: Ballots will be tabulated on August 14. Members who are eligible to vote and have not received a ratification packet by August 5 should call the National Division’s dedicated voicemail line at (216) 241-2630, ext. 222. When connected with the voicemail, please leave the following information:
- Your name, address and phone number;
- The division to which you belong;
- The railroad you work for;
- Your date of birth;
- The last four digits of your Social Security number; and
- Your email address.
All replacement ballots will be distributed by email. Any member who requires a replacement ballot must include their email address in the voicemail; otherwise, they will not be able to participate in the ratification vote.