More than 70 percent of union railroad workers now oppose the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, after the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) last week became the seventh rail union to oppose the proposed acquisition.
The IBEW’s announcement came after the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition fact-checked UP and NS’s claim of “majority” union support, finding that the six unions then publicly opposing the merger (BLET, BMWED, BRS, IAM, TCU/IAM, and TWU) represented 66.29 percent of the workforce at the two railroads. With IBEW now joining the opposition, rail unions representing 70.3 percent of organized rail workers at the two railroads now oppose the proposed merger.
IBEW, which represents more than 10,000 railroad workers across the industry, said it reached its decision after engaging UP in discussions over protections for its members. “The IBEW engaged Union Pacific in good-faith discussions designed to protect IBEW members, preserve craft jurisdiction, prevent forced relocations, address contracting and subcontracting, and provide stability for workers who have dedicated their careers to the railroad industry,” IBEW said in its October 6 announcement. “Despite these efforts, Union Pacific declined to make meaningful commitments on virtually every significant issue.”
The Teamsters Rail Conference, comprised of BLET and BMWED, is a member of the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition. The Coalition represents a broad cross-section of the U.S. economy and is united against a merger that would weaken the railroad workforce, reduce competition, increase costs, and weaken America’s supply chain.
Additional reading:
• Teamsters Rail Conference Fact Sheet #1— Sticking to the Facts: “Jobs for Life” or Jobs on UP’s Terms?” (PDF download)
• Teamsters Rail Conference Fact Sheet #2 — Correcting the Record: “UP’s Jobs for Life” Broken Promise (PDF download)