Railroads, Transport Union Reach Accord

U.S. freight railroads have reached a tentative contract with about 81,000 workers represented by the United Transportation Union, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The agreement would be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005, and run through Dec. 31, 2009, according to the union, Bloomberg said.

Terms of the agreement, concluded Wednesday, were not disclosed, and union rank-and-file must still approve it.

The railroads, which negotiated with 13 unions, reached agreements in July with five of the last six, leaving only the Cleveland-based UTU, which represents conductors, switchmen and other workers, Bloomberg reported.

The agreement covers major freight railroads Union Pacific Corp., Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., CSX Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp. and Kansas City Southern, Bloomberg said.