BMWED Seeking Strike Authorization From CSXT Members Due to Carrier’s Failure to Pay Their Employees Published: Mar 10 2023 2:32PM
Next week CSXT members covered by the June 1, 1999 Agreement between BMWED/CSX will receive a ballot from BMWED seeking strike authorization due to the carrier’s continued failure to pay their employees.
As our CSXT Brothers and Sisters are aware, approximately three (3) years ago, CSXT changed their payroll system to TimeTrax. Since TimeTrax was implemented, payroll for BMWED-represented Maintenance of Way Employees has been an utter disaster. In most basic terms, CSXT has repeatedly and systemically failed to pay Employees for the work that they perform, shorting Employees’ pay for days, weeks and over a month on end. The Employees deserve to be paid. CSXT’s failure to pay Employees for all their hours worked is an abrogation of the terms of the June 1, 1999 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The Allied Federation and the Alliance System Federation Officers have exerted every reasonable good-faith effort to resolve this dispute with CSXT. CSXT has made numerous promises to correct the legion of improper payroll transactions, but they’ve never followed through. Our only avenue of recourse that is left for the Systems and their members to exhaust is to make a concerted withdraw from service – go on strike - at CSXT for their failure to pay Employees. Going on strike requires authorization by the CSXT Brothers and Sisters represented by the BMWED pursuant to the BMWED National Division Bylaws. The decision to request strike authorization from BMWED CSXT members was not done without serious consideration of System and National Division Officers. As such, we request our CSXT members conduct their vote with careful examination.
BMWED is arranging for an electronic voting system to conduct the voting process online. CSXT members will be contacted by BMWED via email and text in the next week with an electronic ballot where they will be voting on whether or not they authorize withdrawal from service at CSXT. We request CSXT members vote (YES) to approve the concerted withdraw from service from CSXT for their failure to pay their Employees. We ask that CSXT members be vigilant for an email and/or text message from BMWED containing the electronic ballot and voting system. For those that do not have email or text on file, you may reach out to Internal Organizing Director Thomas Kirby at 765-760-8220 or tkirby@bmwe.org for assistance casting your vote.