Norfolk Southern has become the third major freight railroad to offer some of its employees paid sick time, one of the primary demands by the railroad unions last fall before Congress imposed a mandatory contract.
The deal is along the same lines as ones CSX and Union Pacific announced earlier this month.
The Norfolk Southern agreement to provide about 3,000 track maintenance workers with 4 days of paid sick time a year offers some positive news for the railroad as it works to clean up the mess after its fiery derailment in Ohio earlier this month.
A union spokesman says the sick time will be especially welcome to the workers who are rebuilding the tracks after the derailment.