On November 24, Railroad Workers United (RWU), a cross-craft inter-union solidarity caucus of railroad workers across North America, put out a statement criticizing the largest rail union, SMART-TD’s support for the UP (Union Pacific) and NS (Norfolk Southern) railroad merger.
In September, SMART-TD, the largest rail union, reversed its opposition to the merger after a job protection agreement was reached with Union Pacific that promised job security for all its members working in train and yardmaster service for their entire careers if the merger goes through. This is the first time a union has supported a major Class I merger of this size.
RWU’s response mentioned that SMART-TD in an earlier statement warned: “We approach this development with measured skepticism rooted in the real-world impact such consolidation could have on rail workers, safety, service quality, and the long-term health of the freight rail industry.”
Their later statement, which reversed its opposition, did not mention how these promises would be enforced. This is a concern of not only RWU but many railroad workers, as past mergers have shown, corporations – including rail companies – often make empty promises to justify and build support for illegal mergers.
Rail consolidation results in job loss, diminishing labor power in negotiating better working conditions and pay, resulting in staffing shortages that lead to burn out and increased safety risks for workers and the public. And in general, consolidation results in stagnant and reduced wages for workers, as there are fewer buyers for labor and greater leverage for the consolidated companies.
This agreement may end up like those in the past which often forced workers to move to different regions of the country or felt unfulfilled by their new duties.There is nothing to protect jobs from being moved – particularly if this deal leads to even further consolidation.
Union Pacific’s History of Lying to Their Workers
The United Transportation Union and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers endorsed
The 1996 merger of Union Pacific and Southern Pacific to protect 2,500 workers. However, this agreement did not prevent job losses, as the company ultimately laid off or moved thousands of employees across the country the same month the merger was finalized.
Any job guarantee from Union Pacific in particular rings hollow, as Union Pacific began rapidly laying off or furloughing workers in 2023, once again choosing to “prioritize cost-cutting measures over ensuring safe operations, jeopardizing the well-being of both [Union Pacific’s] workers and the public,” alone among the Class I companies. At the same time, the company returned money to investors, paying over $3 billion in dividends and stock buybacks of over $700 million.
What are other Railroad Unions Saying?
Because of these harms, several major labor unions oppose the merger. The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), which represents many Norfolk Southern employees, has come out strongly against the merger, citing Union Pacific’s troubling record with skirting safety standards and record of cost-cutting layoffs, even relative to other railroads.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED), which represents workers who build and maintain tracks, bridges, buildings, and other infrastructure on railroads, also opposes this merger. BMWED rejected a proposed agreement with Union Pacific to support the merger, as the proposed deal did not do enough to protect workers. President Tony Cardwell stated that the union would “vehemently deny [the merger]” and work with the White House to block it.
Railroad Workers United on UP-NS Merger
RWU continues to lead the fight against the merger joining railroad and non-railroad trade unions, shippers, customers, environmental advocacy groups, and other railroads. RWU opposes “this merger as well as any and all takeovers, mergers, or other combinations of the remaining Class One railroads…” as rail mergers result in service disruption, inefficiencies, staffing shortages and exhausted workers.
They pointed to the negative effects of past Class I rail mergers. Class I railroads are the largest, with yearly revenue over $1 billion. The U.S. rail industry has been consolidating for decades. In 1980, there were more than 30 Class I freight rail carriers, but now there are only six.
“It will not in any way help mitigate safety concerns,” Alex Nantell, a signal maintenance worker for Union Pacific in Portland and a member of Railroad Workers United. “It will not in any way help out with workforce retention, or having ‘good American jobs.’ And it’ll give the railroads, which already have an inordinate amount of power, significantly more power.”
RWU in their statement said that if rail unions had “developed a joint position opposing a merger that offers no clear benefits to workers” in a coordinated bargaining agreement that all unions, including SMART-TD, would come out in a better position. “The union [SMART-TD] did not poll its membership, disclose the agreement, or provide any mechanism for members to approve or reject it. A merger of this scale, with profound implications for workers, demands democratic oversight. Rank-and-file members deserve a vote, just as they would on any major contract.”
This Merger Would Hurt ALL Workers
Since deregulation of the industry and the mergers that followed, monopoly power has made the industry difficult for railroad workers given its concern with financial performance and metrics rather than operational reliability and sustainable working conditions. With competition gutted, other industries will face new consequences from a newly formed UP/NS railroad making shipping costs for farmers, manufacturers, and energy producers higher.
Labor Today endorses RWU and their efforts to prevent the UP/NS merger. If you work in a railroad consider joining RWU. If you are like Labor Today and concerned with the corporate takeover over the railroads consider supporting them as a solidarity member. We need a rail system that delivers for all Americans under one union that represents all the workers of the railroad industry.
Sources
RWU Responds to Latest Fratricide in Rail Labor 11-24-2025
https://www.economicliberties.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-30-AELP-Railroad-Brief.pdf
https://www.railroadworkersunited.org/oppose-rail-mega-mergers
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