What is the RTOA?
The Railroad Transportation and Operation Agreement, or RTOA, is an agreement available to rail contractors, Laborers and Operators who are looking for a high-quality labor contract that will allow them to perform rail maintenance and new construction productively and efficiently.
By becoming affiliated with the RTOA, a rail contractor commits to using only RTOA Laborers and Operators for their projects. In return, that contractor can be confident that the project will be completed "on time, on budget" and that the work will be done by a skilled and safety-training workforce.
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Rail Labor-Management Cooperation
The relationship between labor and management has a direct impact on profit, productivity, job security and the quality of life. Cooperative efforts to achieve common goals help Laborers and Operators succeed. RTOA Contractors can be certain that no time will be lost due to labor relations. The Railroad Cooperation and Education Trust (RAILCET) is a joint labor-management endeavor between the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)m the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE).
"The partnership between labor and management under the RTOA benefits rail contractors, Laborers and Operators by uniting them toward a common good."
– Larry Laurello, Sr.
Delta Railroad Construction, Inc.
RAILCET helpts RTOA Contractors work together to bring about the best results for everyone involved. In a time when confrontation no longer carriers the clout it once did, RAILCET helps to facilitate a productive relationship between labor and management.
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Highly Productive Workforce
A Skilled Workforce = A Competitive Edge
RTOA Laborers and Operators are highly productive, saving money in the long run. Factor in less need for on-the-job training and competitive benefit plans and working under the RTOA becomes a wise business decision.
Doing business under the RTOA agreement means that rail contractors can be sure that the job will be done, on time and on budget. With RTOA labor, the job is done right the first time by a highly skilled, experienced workforce.
"The RTOA provides contractors with access to skilled Laborers and Operators almost anywhere the job may be. With resources in 41 states, contractors can quickly mobilize a workforce across the country with just a phone call–and they can be confident in their ability to get the job done right."
– John F. Penn
LIUNA Vice President,
Midwest Regional Manager
RTOA Contractors also benefit from their access to portable manpower, with the ability to get additional highly skilled employees when needed, with just a phone call. RAILCET has created a network of Laborers and Operators across the country that can be called up by RTOA Signatories, in almost any location.
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Competitive Wages and Low Cost Health Care
By becoming affiliated with the RTOA, contractors have access to geographically zoned competitive wage rates. This benefit allows contractors to base wage rates on where the project is located, instead of where their office is located. RAILCET also supports fair contracting organizations that level the playing field. In addition, RAILCET fights to ensure that RTOA Contractors do not lose work to non-RTOA contractors that do not provide the same benefits to their Laborers and Operators.
"We have really seen the impact of the RTOA's competitive wages. Since becoming members, we have seen a dramatic reduction in labor turnover. As a result, we have been able to maintain a stable, reliable workforce ever since"
– Neil Houser
Kelly-Hill
Laborers and Operators also have access to competitive health care through the Railroad Maintenance and Industrial Health and Welfare Fund and pension plans that they would not have outside of the RTOA. These benefits help to create workplace satisfaction, which in turn leads to a more productive workforce and a better finished product.
"We are a third generation family owned business which has always been concerned about the welfare of our employees. Under the RTOA agreement we are able to provide our co-workers with a family health plan and pension plan at a fixed reasonable hourly cost."
– James Daloisio
Railroad Constructors, Inc.
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Get on Board with RAILCET
To become an RTOA Member, contact RAILCET.
Railroad Cooperation and Education Trust
The Railroad Cooperation and Education Trust (RAILCET) is an organization comprised of railroad labor and management trustees that promote cooperation in all disciplines of railroad contracting. RAILCET members are signatory to the Railroad Transportation and Operation Agreement (TROA), which is available to rail contractors, laborers and operators.
We are devoted to increasing market share for signatory contractors; RAILCET offers a wide range of powerful market expansion tools to inform you of upcoming projects and win the bid. Bringing labor and management together not only to perform the work, but to secure the work is one of our main focuses. Contractors will be notified of upcoming projects through the following resources:
CTTS Exchange provides signatory contractors access to the latest intelligence on thousands of open projects throughout the United States, including bid date, type of construction, project worth and sub-contractor profiles.
DATAFAX is sent to RTOA contractors to provide them with a daily fax with the latest information on several open projects.
Industry Information Research is a detailed project tracking service that provides contractors information about numerous projects in various industries.
Railroad Transportation and Operation Agreement (RTOA)
The RTOA is an agreement available to rail contractors, Laborers and Operators who are looking for a high quality labor contract that will allow them to perform rail maintenance and new rail construction projects.
The relationship between labor and management has a direct impact on profit, productivity and job security. RTOA Contractors can be certain that no time will be lost due to labor relations. The agreement offers competitive wage rates that are geographically zoned. Cooperative efforts to achieve common goals helps Laborers and Operators succeed. The Railroad Cooperation and Education Trust (RAILCET) is a joint labor-management endeavor between Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE).
Railroad Training and Education Fund
RTOA Contractors have exclusive access to the free safety training provided by the Railroad Training and Education Fund. As a RTOA Contractor you can be assured that your workforce has access to the best safety training available. RTOA Contractors have access to training for the OSHA 10 and 30 hour courses, along with training for First Aid, CPR AED, Blood Borne Pathogens and others. Safety vests and hardhats are available at no cost to the employer. Employees are eligible for compensation for each half day and full day of training they receive. Below is a brief explanation of the reimbursement policy of training expenses for RTOA Contractors. Note that contractors are only eligible for reimbursement if actual expenses are incurred. All expense reimbursements for any training are subject to approval by the Training Fund.
In-House Training
Training that is conducted or provided by an employer’s staff is considered in-house training. We know our contractors and their safety programs strive to remain on the edge of innovative and attention capturing training. To aid in expenses associated with conducting training the Fund provides a stipend to each RTOA contractor for each bargaining unit employee that successfully completes and passes in-house training.
Industry Specialized Equipment Training
The Railroad Training and Education Fund acknowledges the need for rail contractors to ensure their crew is well versed on the operation of industry specialized equipment. The Fund provides reimbursement of certain expenses for employees who receive industry specialized equipment training.
Owner Required Training
Owner required training is training which is required by a project owner or the customer. The Fund will reimburse an employer an allocated amount for each employee who receives project owner required training that is conducted by an outside vendor.
Online Training
An online training center is provided for the exclusive use of signatory RTOA Contractors and NRC member companies. The Road Worker Protection Training Course is provided free to RTOA Contractors and is available online.
Track Work Training
The Fund has a contract with John Zuspan, the Track Guy to provide training on an as needed basis. Please contact the training fund to receive information about the courses provided or visit his website www.trackguy.com.
To Receive Reimbursement for Training the Fund must receive evidence of actual expenditures, invoices, identity of attendees, detailed description of training rendered and dates the training occurred. A contractor’s employee must pass or be certified to receive reimbursement of expenses for that employee.
"I have been impressed with the comprehensive safety training that the Railroad Training and Education Fund provides for our company. Our workforce now has access to the best safety training available, and better training means a safer workforce."
– Bill Morren
U.S. Trackworks LLC
Railroad Maintenance and Industrial Health and Welfare Fund
RTOA contractors' are enrolled in Plan D of the Health and Welfare Fund for Zones 1-4; Zone 5 is covered by Plan C. To become eligible for health and welfare benefits, an employee must work 300 hours per month to remain eligible. There is a 1,000 hour rollback in a 12 month period; this means if within the previous 12 months an employee has worked at least 1,000 hours they remain eligible for health and welfare benefits. Note that this is not determined in a calendar year it is a 12 month rolling period. The coverage will continue for a maximum of 4 months when using the 1,000hour rollback to determine eligibility for health benefits. Below is a summary of benefits, please refer to the Summary Plan Description for greater detail.
To download the RAILCET brochure (412k pdf), click here.
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