Watco Dispatch Center employees ratify first BLET contract
Employees working at the Watco Dispatch Center in Wichita, Kansas, ratified their first union contract with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) on June 30.
The dispatchers selected BLET as their designated collective bargaining representative in February 2025. The contract is the first union agreement ratified by Watco employees, BLET officials said in a press release. The contract covers seniority, job bidding, discipline procedures, grievances, compensation, benefits and layoffs. Current employees will receive a $2,500 signing bonus, with new hires in training receiving the bonus upon qualification. The agreement also establishes, among other things, overtime pay at time-and-one-half for hours worked over 40 hours per week, holiday overtime pay, bereavement leave protections and continued participation in Watco health and welfare, 401(k) retirement and vacation programs Watco Dispatch Center employees belong to BLET Division 16, the short-line division, BLET officials said.