WASHINGTON – The National Carriers’ Conference Committee crafted a new labor contract with four different unions, the coalition of Class I railroads announced this week. The new agreements, which include wage increases and benefits, cover more than 31,000 employees and are subject to membership ratification.

The unions that agreed to the tentative deal with the Class 1 railroads include: the Brotherhood Railway Carmen (BRC), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU).

The news comes two weeks after four other rail unions, including the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, also ratified a new national contract with the Class I railroads.

“These new agreements, which follow the terms established in the earlier agreements, bring us closer to the resolution of negotiations with all the unions,” says A. Kenneth Gradia, chairman of the Committee, the railroads’ bargaining representative.

The Committee represents employees on more than 30 railroads, including BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific, in national bargaining with 12 rail unions. Bargaining began in 2015.