By Mark Wallace, BLET National President
On September 3, 2026, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy put the Trump Administration’s commitments to rail labor in writing. That letter was important. But it also represented something our members do not always get to see: the work that happens behind the scenes before a commitment like that is ever made public.
A large part of my job is the work that never makes a headline. It is the phone calls, private meetings, follow-up conversations and direct discussions with decision-makers. It is making sure the concerns of our members are heard by the people who have the authority to act. Most of that work takes place quietly, but it matters.
That is what happened with the proposed restructuring of Amtrak. When the Teamsters Rail Conference — including BLET and BMWED — and the other rail labor unions raised concerns, we did more than issue a statement. We engaged directly with the Administration and worked to make sure railroad workers had a seat at the table.
Secretary Duffy, Deputy Secretary Steven Bradbury and FRA Administrator David Fink met with rail labor leaders for a straightforward discussion about protecting collective bargaining agreements, Railway Labor Act rights, Railroad Retirement and unemployment benefits, seniority, representation rights and union work. We supported efforts to improve Amtrak, but we also made clear that any restructuring had to protect the workers who keep the railroad running.
Secretary Duffy listened. After the meeting, we asked him to put the Administration’s commitments in writing. On September 3, he did.
In that letter, Secretary Duffy called rail labor’s concerns “of paramount importance.” He said questions involving bargaining rights, Railroad Retirement, unemployment benefits and Amtrak’s long-term stability should be addressed collaboratively as part of the restructuring — not after decisions had already been made. He encouraged Amtrak and its unions to enter good-faith discussions over the specific issues we raised.
The Secretary also reaffirmed the Administration’s Intention to keep Amtrak employees under the Railway Labor Act, recognized the importance of existing collective bargaining agreements, and made clear that the Administration had no intention of privatizing Amtrak or disrupting longstanding labor protections. He further committed to preserving Amtrak as a single, integrated national passenger rail system.
Just as important, Secretary Duffy was not talking about shrinking Amtrak. He was talking about growth. The Administration has backed that goal with nearly $3 billion in grants, including funding for up to 43 new trainsets and a new maintenance facility for Amtrak’s National Network. The Secretary said a modernized Amtrak should sustain the existing workforce, create opportunities for new union rail jobs and be built on stable labor-management relations.
Amtrak also responded. Chairman Anthony Coscia stated that the restructuring was not intended to diminish labor protections, collective bargaining agreements, representation rights, seniority or employee benefits. Amtrak committed to working with rail labor toward a written labor-protection framework and to discussing protections for the transfer of covered work.
There is still much work to do. The final protections must be negotiated, and we will continue to stay engaged and see that work through. But September 3 showed why the work our members do not always see is so important. Relationships matter. Access matters. Persistence matters. When we can sit at the table with the people making decisions, explain what is at stake for our members and secure a written response, we are doing the job our members elected us to do.
Secretary Duffy deserves credit for living up to his commitment. So do Deputy Secretary Bradbury, Administrator Fink and the Trump Administration. They met with rail labor, listened to our concerns and followed through.
When we disagree with an Administration, we will say so. That is our responsibility. But when an Administration works with us in good faith and delivers on its word, we should say that too.
As President of BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference, I want Amtrak to succeed. I want a stronger and more accountable railroad, better service for passengers, continued investment in passenger rail and more good union railroad jobs. I also support the Administration’s work to improve Penn Station and Union Station. If we are serious about growing passenger rail, those gateways should be something our members, passengers and the country can be proud of.
Since May of 2025, when I was elevated to the position of National President, I have delivered a clear and consistent message wherever I go: this organization moves forward only when it is driven by its members. While our members may not see every meeting, every phone call, or every conversation that takes place on their behalf, they should know that the work is happening. On September 3, that work produced a clear, written commitment from the Secretary of Transportation. We will continue full steam ahead in doing that work — and we will keep holding everyone to the commitments they make because we believe that our members expect and deserve no less.