In a first, some CSX railroad workers to get paid sick leave

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several thousand workers at CSX will soon get one of the things that pushed the railroad industry to the brink of a strike last fall: paid sick time. Florida-based CSX announced the deal Tuesday with two of its 12 unions. About 5,000 workers will get four days of paid sick leave as part of the agreements. They will also be able to convert three of their personal leave days into sick-leave days. Quality-of-life concerns about the lack of paid sick time and demanding schedules prompted more than half of all rail workers to reject a five-year deal last fall. Ultimately, that contract was imposed on all the workers at CSX, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads.