Workers at Kentucky’s Carrollton Railroad have unanimously ratified their first BLET-negotiated contract. It marks a significant milestone for the Carrollton workers, who voted to join the BLET in late 2024.
The five-year contract provides back pay and general wage increases over the life of the contract (2025-2029) as well as enhancements to the paid vacation schedule, allowing members to earn more vacation days at an accelerated rate. The agreement also ensures that the Carrollton Railroad workforce cannot be merged into CSX’s seniority district without “New York Dock” protections (federally mandated labor protections that provide wages and other benefits resulting from a merger or acquisition), an important provision that the members wanted to secure in a union contract.
BLET’s Carrollton members belong to Division 16, the Brotherhood’s short line division. The negotiating team consisted of National Vice President James Logan and Grievance Chairman David Skirvin. Logan said negotiations originally began under the leadership of National Vice President Randy Fannon, who led the successful organizing drive at the property in 2024.
The Carrollton Railroad is a subsidiary of CSXT that operates between Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659