As stated in a previous newsletter, we entered this round of bargaining with a robust list of needs and desires which were presented in our initial proposal to the Carrier. That was our starting point. The Carrier’s starting point, as you can imagine, was on the opposite end of the spectrum. As negotiations go, the two sides eventually found some common ground in the middle and a tentative agreement was reached on December 14th. Now the decision rests where it should – in the hands of the BRS members on the DTO. In the end, both parties must agree in order to reach a voluntary TA. What we can confirm is that we left nothing on the table. We squeezed every nickel out of them that they were willing to part with, and now the members will get to decide if the resulting tentative agreement sufficiently addresses their needs for the next three years. Final results of the ratification vote will be released in the coming days, once the ballots are all counted.
