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Meal/Lodging Per Diem Open Enrollment
In conjunction with the terms of the 2023 Meal Per Diem Agreement, as well as the 2025 Lodging Per Diem Agreement, the annual enrollment period for eligible employees is November 1 – November 30. All signal crew positions and all MCTs are eligible to participate. This will be the third annual enrollment period since the inception of the Meal Per Diem Agreement, and enrollment continues to grow. According to the terms stipulated, no action on your part during open enrollment will result in remaining with your current selection. During this enrollment period, employees interested in adding the lodging per diem option may also elect to do so. This “add-on” option can only be selected in addition to the meal per diem.
Under the meal agreement, each eligible employee can opt to enroll in the daily per diem benefit or remain under the “actual and necessary” provisions of Rule 13. Enrollment elections made each November will remain in effect for the entirety of the next calendar year.
If you do choose to enroll in the meal, or meal + lodging per diem option, there are some things you should know. First, per diem payments will be added to your paycheck, but will not be taxed. Also, the daily rate will be adjusted on June 1 and December 1 of each year, to account for adjustments in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
As of September 2025, the daily rate for the meal per diem is $63.25, with an additional $76.20 for those enrolled in the lodging component, for a total of $139.45 daily. These rates will be adjusted on December 1, 2025, to reflect the percentage change in the CPI-W index from April to October of 2025. That data is customarily released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics the following month (November). Therefore, we will publish the exact per diem rate for December 2025 through May 2026 when the data becomes available. Since the index is a direct measurement of current inflation, we can expect a moderate increase to go into effect on December 1st.
We fully understand the fact that the meal per diem does not work for everyone, which is the reason we bargained for it as an optional benefit. Similarly, the additional lodging stipend likely appeals to even fewer members. In other words, we understand there are some urban areas where members may be better off under existing expense rules. If that is where you find yourself, then simply do not opt into the per diem benefit(s). Some may find these per diem options to be an improvement. Some may not – the choice is yours. And that is the very thing that we feel makes these Agreements a success – putting the choice where it belongs, in your hands. Just be sure and make that choice in November during the enrollment period.
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