Interim Three Percent Raise Proposal
- Kevin DeArment
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Brothers,
As we continue full contract negotiations with Union Pacific Railroad under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act, your BLET General Committees were presented with a proposal from the Carrier to implement a 3% interim wage increase, effective September 1, 2025. This offer is intended to help offset inflationary impacts while broader negotiations remain ongoing.
The terms of the proposed interim raise are outlined in the attached agreement. If ratified by the membership, the raise would apply to all standard daily rates of pay for engineers represented by the BLET. This increase is temporary and will be replaced by the general wage increases (GWIs) and any other economic terms ultimately negotiated in the final agreement.
It is important to understand that accepting this interim raise will not impact our ongoing bargaining strategy. The agreement explicitly states that it sets no precedent, does not limit either side’s negotiating positions, and cannot be used as evidence of a wage pattern in future arbitration or negotiations. Additionally, if any retroactive wage increases are secured in the final contract, such as a GWI backdated to July 1, the interim raise will simply be deducted from the retro pay calculation, not forfeited entirely.
We decided to put this proposal to a membership vote. Balloting instructions will be distributed directly from the BLET National Division. Each Union Pacific BLET member will receive the attached letter and proposed offer along with a QR code, which must be used to cast their vote. This is the time for our members' voices to be heard; therefore, they need to vote. This is what a union is all about: participation, solidarity, and standing together to shape the terms of our labor.
Feel free to send the included attachment to your members as this will be what they will be voting on.
If you have any questions or need clarification, don’t hesitate to contact
your BLET Local Chairman.
Fraternally,
Scott Alexander
General Chairman – BLET UPSR GCA
EMAIL: spalexander@bletsr.org
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