First Vice President Gary Best (seated) and National President Mark Wallace discussing the proposed UP-NS merger with delegates.
National President Mark Wallace and First Vice President Gary Best closed out the BLET’s Sixth National Convention with a behind closed doors members-only Town Hall-style meeting focused on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger.
The two national officers spent more than an hour outlining the BLET’s strategy in opposing the acquisition of NS by UP and answering delegates’ questions. They discussed the merger’s potential effects on railroad jobs in Class I railroads, safety and working conditions, as well as how this merger, if allowed to move forward, would have serious ramifications for passenger rail and the short line industry.
“The proposed UP-NS merger will reshape this industry for generations,” Wallace said. “For our members, the stakes are personal: our jobs, our safety, our working conditions, and the future of our railroad families.”
The BLET and BMWED are opposing the merger with support from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and other rail unions that combined represent 70% of the unionized workers at the two carriers. Both Teamster-affiliated unions are also founding members of the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, which includes shippers, railroads, consumers and public policy groups.
During the session, delegates also watched a Teamsters-produced video highlighting the unions’ opposition to the merger. Click here to watch.
The BLET said it will share more information about its opposition in the coming days.
