AZER Labor Contract: BLET Ratification & Union Gains

Arizona Eastern Railway workers ratify first labor contract, a five-year deal covering working rights and wage increases.

AZER Labor Contract: BLET Ratification & Union Gains
September 7, 2025 12:48 am
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Introduction

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) working for the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER), owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc., have unanimously ratified their first labor contract. The new five-year agreement covers 22 AZER workers who joined BLET in June 2024 and establishes working rights, including seniority protections, grievance procedures, and wage increases.

Contract Ratification

The BLET members employed by the Arizona Eastern Railway have ratified their initial labor contract. This agreement follows the workers’ affiliation with the BLET in June 2024.

Key Provisions of the Agreement

The new five-year contract includes several key provisions. These provisions encompass a seniority roster with prior rights protections, grievance procedures and union protections against disciplinary actions, guaranteed work weeks with rest days, a process for the promotion of engineers, a formal training process, paid time off, general wage increases, and a signing bonus.

Railway Operations

The Arizona Eastern Railway, owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc., operates 206 miles of track. The railway’s route connects Clifton and Miami, Arizona. It interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad in Lordsburg, New Mexico.

Union Representation

The AZER workers covered by this agreement are members of BLET Division 16, which is the union’s short-line division.

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Conclusion

The BLET members working for the Arizona Eastern Railway have ratified their first labor contract, a five-year agreement. The contract includes working rights, seniority, and wage increases. The AZER operates 206 miles of track and interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad.

Company Summary

Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER): Owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc., AZER operates 206 miles of track between Clifton and Miami, Arizona, and interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad in Lordsburg, New Mexico.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc.: Owns and operates the Arizona Eastern Railway.

Union Pacific Railroad: Arizona Eastern Railway interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad in Lordsburg, New Mexico.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET): The labor union representing the AZER workers.

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