NOVEMBER 11, 2025 – The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) announces that Signalmen at Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) have ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement. The agreement covers nearly 970 members who ensure the safety and reliability of signal and train-control systems across the carrier’s network.
This round of national bargaining has been unlike any in recent history. In September 2023, all Class I railroads opened negotiations directly with the 13 rail unions. Some carriers continued to bargain individually with the BRS while others, including NS, shifted their authority to the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC). Although carriers may take differing approaches, the BRS has remained the recognized bargaining representative for the signal craft under the Railway Labor Act. Pursuant to the BRS Constitution, affected members maintain the right to vote on agreements.
For the first time in decades, the BRS was able to address local work rules within the broader national bargaining context. Historically, many railroads avoided these discussions by citing moratoriums or deferring to the NCCC. This year, those barriers did not stand in the way of progress.
Previously, separate ratification ballots were held for members covered under BRS and NCCC bargaining. NS subsequently withdrew its proxy from the coalition. The BRS’s responsibility to its members remains unchanged, and the results of the NS ballot — where members approved the agreement by a decisive margin, will be ratified.
Under the agreement, members will receive an 18.8 percent compounded wage increase over five years, earlier access to paid vacation, improvements to health and welfare benefits, and several local work-rule enhancements such as increased travel-expense reimbursement and more flexible scheduling for construction.
BRS President Michael Baldwin stated:
“This round of bargaining demonstrated the strength of our membership and the importance of staying united in our goals. Together, we secured meaningful improvements in wages, benefits, and in the rules our members rely on. The gains in this agreement are a direct result of the solidarity of BRS Signalmen across Norfolk Southern’s system.”
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