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New Five-year RTOA Agreement Expands Reach and Mobility for Railroad Contractors
Stability with Strong Benefits is the Key        

SPRINGFIELD, IL (January 4, 2008) –The Railroad Cooperation and Education Trust (RAILCET) today formally announced a new, five-year Railroad Transportation and Operation Agreement (RTOA) agreement. Signed by Terence O’Sullivan, General President LIUNA, Vincent Giblin, General President IUOE and Ray Chambers, Chairman of the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC), the expanded cooperative agreement offers railroad stakeholders a level playing field to achieve common goals.

“This new agreement offers national reach, flexibility and competitive pricing,” said Edward Smith, chairman of RAILCET and assistant to the general president, vice president and regional manager, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA). “It creates a win-win partnership for laborers, operators and railroad contractors. With this new agreement in place, our goal is to expand the number of high quality rail contractors signing on as signatories to the RTOA. This will further strengthen RAILCET’s reputation within the rail industry while also increasing the contract potential for our signatories.”

Among the new RTOA agreement’s benefits are:

·      Work crew mobility for contractors;

·      Geographic reach – locked in 41, accessible in all 50 states;

·      Fair wage rates and affordable health insurance (up to $2.60 per hour);

·      Better training and reimbursement;

·      Improved dispute resolution process; and,

·      Flexible work week

RTOA contractors work under a unique labor agreement that reaches across the country with geographically zoned wage rates.  Under RTOA there is a 25-year record of labor-management harmony and peace.  RTOA also offers safety training, alcohol and drug programs that are unmatched in the railroad industry.

The Railroad Cooperation and Education Trust is an organization of railroad labor and management that promotes cooperation in all disciplines of railroad contracting. This includes formulas to “win the bid” for railroad maintenance and construction projects in a highly competitive environment and the promotion of railroad infrastructure legislation in Congress and the state legislatures that furthers the railroad construction business climate. RAILCET members understand the importance of job well-done, completed safely, on time and on budget.

For more information or a copy of the National Railroad Agreement, please visit our website: www.railcet.net