More opposition to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger emerged recently, with additional rail unions joining the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition.
The Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and IAM District 19, both part of the IAM Rail Division, announced their opposition to the merger on September 2, and said that they would begin working with the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition.
The IAM Rail Division raised the same concerns brought forth by others in rail labor, including the Teamsters Rail Conference and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen: that the unenforceable worker protections offered in connection with the proposed merger do not go far enough to protect against furloughs, abolished positions, relocation of work, facility closures, contracting out, or the gradual elimination of jobs through attrition and consolidation.
“When workers and affected stakeholders stand together, we are better positioned to demand real accountability and enforceable protections,” said TCU/IAM National President Matt Hollis.
The Teamsters Rail Conference, comprised of BLET and BMWED, sits on the Executive Board of the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition and was the first labor organization to join the coalition. The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition represents a broad cross-section of the U.S. economy. It is united against a merger that would reduce competition, increase costs, and weaken America’s supply chain.
Read the TCU/IAM and IAM District 19 joint press release here.