BLET News
UP-NS merger: What are they trying to hide? STB orders UP and NS to make job impact data publicly available
In a victory for the BLET and other rail labor unions, the Surface Transportation Board this week ordered Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to make public the merger-related job impact data that the railroads had inexplicably labeled as “highly confidential” in their...
Stop the Rail Merger Coalition: 23 Senators Raise Serious Concerns Over UP-NS Merger
These senators join a bipartisan group of more than 100 state and federal policymakers, attorneys general, and agriculture secretaries urging the Administration to stop this unnecessary merger. U.S. Senator Cory Booker, joined by 22 Senate colleagues, is urging the...
Hotel registration for BLET’s Sixth National Convention is now open
Hotel Registration is now open for the BLET’s Sixth National Convention, which will be held at the Horseshoe Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Convention will convene at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and will adjourn on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Please visit...
Nicotine cessation tools available to you and your family
Trying to quit nicotine? The National Railroad Plans – Health & Welfare Benefits provides access to the Quit For Life® program, which has helped millions overcome nicotine addiction. The program provides information regarding tobacco cessation methods and related...
Advisory from the BLET National Division: Protecting your certification and your career
Brothers and Sisters, One of the National Division’s responsibilities is identifying issues that could affect our members before they become widespread. Recently, we have become aware of several cases involving alleged personal electronic device violations where...
State of the Union: Wallace says “preparation and performance” are key
In his state of the union address, BLET National President Mark Wallace said preparation and performance are the key measuring sticks for the Brotherhood and its leaders. “At the heart of every fight we take on is our membership — the men and women who do the work,...
Two more serious incidents involving Norfolk Southern are under investigation
The BLET Safety Task Force has received Party Status from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to assist with the investigation of two serious Norfolk Southern incidents. In the first incident, a conductor was killed last week when he was struck by a train...
Congress must finish the job on rail safety, East Palestine resident says
“Rail safety is public health. Hazardous releases don’t stop at the tracks,” wrote Misti Allison in a recent guest editorial published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A resident of East Palestine, Ohio and a public health leader, Allison knows first-hand the...
Division 6 hosts annual Family Picnic
BLET Division 6 kicked off summer 2026 by co-hosting their annual Family Picnic in Boone, Iowa, on June 20. The large and well-attended event was held in a spirit of solidarity with fellow rail labor unions from the surrounding area. With 170 active and retired...
Replacement ballots will be available on July 13 in BLET contract vote at SBRR.
BLET members at South Buffalo Railway Company (SBRR) are currently voting on a tentative agreement. Ballots were mailed on June 29. Eligible members who have not yet received a ballot by July 13 should call the BLET National Division’s dedicated voicemail line to have...
BLET urges FRA to deny safety waiver regarding NS training program
The BLET is opposing a Norfolk Southern request to waive safety standards governing refresher training for its transportation employees. BLET National President Mark Wallace filed formal comments in a June 29 letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). As...
BLET Western Regional Meeting in New Orleans begins next week
We will be reporting to you next week from New Orleans, the site of the BLET’s Western Regional Meeting. Last-minute registrations for meals and events will be accepted online or in person at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside as late as Tuesday morning, July 14. Open...
The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition asks STB to tell UP and NS to disclose numbers on how their proposed merger will affect workers
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific appear to have purposefully left out critical information on the affect that the proposed merger would have on workers – if approved. Instead of listing the information publicly as they did in their past two applications, they...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with South Buffalo Railway
Ballots were mailed last week to BLET members for voting on a tentative agreement with the South Buffalo Railway Company (SBRR). If ratified by the members, the tentative contract would provide significant economic and quality-of-life enhancements. The TA governs...
America 250 and BLET 163: Contributions of American locomotive engineers, both at home and on the battlefield, led to victory during World War II
American railroads and railroad workers proved vital to the Allied victory during World War II, both at home and abroad. At home, U.S. railroads — with BLET members at the throttle — carried 90 percent of all military freight and 97 percent of all military passenger...
BLET members ratify historic first agreement with Watco
Railroad workers at Watco, who joined the BLET to gain collective bargaining rights, have overwhelmingly ratified their first-ever contract. This marks a significant milestone for BLET-represented employees at the formerly non-union railroad. Prior to selecting BLET...
BLET members unanimously ratify agreement with Keolis/VRE
BLET members last week unanimously ratified a new six-year contract with Keolis/Virginia Railway Express (VRE). The agreement runs from July 1, 2026, through June 29, 2031 and provides a strong wage package along with meaningful quality of life improvements. Amtrak...
New benefit year began July 1 for RRB unemployment and sickness benefits
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), which provides qualified railroad workers with unemployment benefits when they become unemployed but are ready, willing, and able to work, and sickness benefits when they...
Make your reservations now for BLET Eastern Regional Meeting
With the deadline for room reservations just under a month away, BLET members and guests are encouraged to register now for the BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Chicago. The deadline for room reservations is July 24, and the meeting will take place August 24-28 at...
America 250 and BLET 163: BLET a pioneer for safety and societal reforms
Editor’s Note: As America approaches its 250th birthday this year, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is marking its 163rd anniversary. In recognition of these historic milestones, BLET, the oldest labor union in North America, is examining...
Daily Headlines
47 Republican members of Congress tell federal regulators if UP-NS merger doesn’t promote competition it shouldn’t move forward
A February 4 letter co-signed by 47 Republican members of Congress urges the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a “rigorous and comprehensive” review of proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The Representatives said that if STB cannot ensure that the...
CN announces Q4, full-year 2025 results
CN reported revenues of C$4,464 million and operating income of C$1,733 million.
Norfolk Southern reports Q4, full-year 2025 results
For the fourth quarter of 2025, NS reported revenue of $3.0 billion and income from railway operations of $937 million.
CPKC reports Q4, full-year 2025 results
CPKC announced its fourth-quarter 2025 revenues of $3.9 billion.
Union Pacific reports Q4, full-year 2025 results
UP reported 2025 fourth quarter net income of $1.8 billion
CSX announces Q4, full-year 2025 results
CSX Corp. announced fourth quarter 2025 operating income of $1.11 billion and net earnings of $720 million.
UP-NS merger: Mark it “return to sender.” STB rejects merger application.
In a unanimous decision announced on January 16, the Surface Transportation Board rejected the merger application filed by Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern as “incomplete.” The STB said the merger application does not contain certain information required by the...
Railroads thwart safety fixes, costing lives
Fatigue-related accidents killed at least nine people and injured over 300 from 2015 through 2024, the Howard Center’s analysis of NTSB investigation reports found.
Associated Press: BLET, BMWED oppose UP-NS merger
“This proposed monopoly will end up costing businesses more and those costs will be passed on to consumers,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said.
BLET, BMWED to oppose the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger
Today, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division representing 53 percent of the unionized workforce at the Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Corporation, announced their opposition to the...
