BMWED American Rail System Federation members on the Alton & Southern Railway have ratified a new 5-year collective bargaining agreement by a vote of 24-0.

Alton & Southern is a switching railroad located in St. Louis and, while legally a separate operating entity, is wholly owned by Union Pacific.

The newly minted agreement mirrors those reached on most of the major Class I railroads, including U.P. Under the new agreement, which follows the national pattern, A&S members will receive a compounded total of 18.77 percent in general wage increases over five years. The raises (effective July 1 of each year) are structured as follows:

• 4 percent in 2025 (retroactive to July 1)

• 3.75 percent in 2026

• 3.5 percent in 2027

• 3.25 percent in 2028

• 3 percent in 2029

“I want to thank the members on Alton & Southern for their confidence and trust as we negotiated this deal and commend them for their attention to detail and their steady input and hard work to see that we cemented this contract,” ARSF General Chairman Johnny Long said. “We had great involvement from the members during this round of bargaining and a 24-0 vote tally illustrates that commitment.”