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UP-NS MERGER:
BLET joins coalition urging
rejection of UP-NS merger, calling
it “a bad deal for America”
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The BLET this week joined farmers,
railroads, and shippers in opposition to
the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger,
calling it “a bad deal for America.” The
groups, representing a broad cross-section
of business, labor and consumers, have
joined together to form the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition.
Founding members include: the
Teamsters Rail Conference (BLET and
BMWED), the American Chemistry Council,
the American Farm Bureau Federation, BNSF
Railway, CPKC Railway, Alliance for
Chemical Distribution, National
Industrial Transportation League and the
Vinyl Institute, among others.
The announcement was made on April 29,
just prior to the merger resubmission by
UP and NS to the Surface Transportation
Board. In January, the STB rejected their initial merger application as
incomplete.
The coalition joins a growing group of
more than 100 state and federal
policymakers, including attorneys general
and agriculture secretaries, who are
urging the Surface Transportation Board to
hit the brakes on this unnecessary
merger.
 “Union Pacific has yet to make the
workforce commitments necessary to
maintain network reliability or protect
the communities and customers that depend
on this rail system,” said Mark Wallace, BLET National President and President
of the Teamsters Rail Conference. “Merging
two Class I carriers of this scale without
binding employment guarantees is not a
business decision. It is a gamble with the
nation’s supply chain and the workers who
keep it moving that ultimately the
American taxpayer will have to bail out.
The Teamsters Rail Conference will not
stand aside while railroad executives
hollow out the workforce and wreck our
national freight rail system and call it
progress while Americans suffer the
consequences.”
A recent national poll found overwhelming
public opposition to the unpopular merger,
with nearly 71 percent of those surveyed
opposing the merger. Americans are
concerned the merger could increase
shipping costs and raise prices on
everyday goods. Americans
surveyed also expressed concerns
about monopoly power of the combined
railroad. A summary of the poll results
can be seen here (PDF).
BLET has taken a number of actions in its
campaign to stop the proposed merger
of the two Class I railroads. In addition
to visits with lawmakers on Capitol Hill,
leaders of the BLET and BMWED
recently met in New York City with
approximately three dozen Wall Street analysts and investors who study the Class I railroad
industry to discuss potential
ramifications of the proposed merger and
the Teamster Rail Conference’s opposition.
Last December, the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters published
a joint statement with BLET and BMWED announcing
their strong opposition to the
merger.
For more on the anti-merger coalition and
the resubmission of the UP-NS merger
application, read these stories in Axios
and Reuters:
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Axios
— Union Pacific resubmits Norfolk
Southern merger application
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Reuters
— Coalition opposes Union Pacific,
Norfolk Southern rail merger
Locomotive photos by Cory Rusch,
BLET Division 659
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NEW YORK:
BLET leader tells MTA Board “the
clock is ticking”
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During the part of the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority’s April 29 board
meeting reserved for public remarks,
Gil Lang, General
Chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) at the Long
Island Rail Road, speaking on behalf of a
coalition of five LIRR rail unions, called
out the MTA for their “lack of urgency”
with a strike date of May 16 set and no
negotiations for the past 40 days. The
coalition of five unions represents a
majority of LIRR’s unionized workforce,
3,500 railroad workers.
Immediately following Lang’s remarks, the
MTA agreed to hold new talks during the
week of May 4 to include the federal
National Mediation Board.
“The MTA’s responsibility should be to
serve the public and to keep the Long
Island Rail Road moving. Instead, since
the last meeting that we requested, 40
days have passed. No response. No new
bargaining session. No counterproposal. No
sense of urgency,” said Lang. “That delay
is on the MTA. Rather than working toward
a settlement, the MTA is preparing the
public for failure — talking about limited
bus service and ignoring the gridlock that
will paralyze Long Island if the trains
stop running. That is not a plan. That is
not leadership.”
Click here to watch a video of Lang delivering his
comments to the MTA Board.
Release in March of recommendations
by a second Presidential Emergency
Board that called for adopting the
union’s bargaining proposal triggered a
60-day cooling off period under the
Railway Labor Act. If there is no
agreement at the end of that period —
12:01 a.m. on May 16 — then either the
union coalition could call a strike, or
MTA could lock out the workers.
“The clock is ticking,” said Lang in
concluding his remarks.
The coalition of five rail unions includes
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and Trainmen (BLET), the Brotherhood of
Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the
International Association of Machinists
and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), the
International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation
Communications Union (TCU).
For more information, see the following
news stories:
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NY Post — LIRR unions blast MTA over
stalled bargaining talks, threaten
strike in May
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CBS New York — MTA, unions working to avoid
possible LIRR strike in mid May. Here’s
what each side wants.
Locomotive photo by Dave Levene, BLET Division 269
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BLET LIRR General Chairman Gil
Lang delivers public
comments at the MTA Board of Directors
meeting this week.
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CROSS BORDER TAKE ACTION:
Tell your member of Congress to
co-sponsor H.R. 8468, the Protecting
American Railroad Workers Jobs Act of
2026
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The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and
Trainmen (BLET) National Division is asking
members, families, and friends to call their
Representatives and ask for support of the
bipartisan “Protecting American Railroad
Workers Jobs Act of 2026” (H.R. 8468), which
was introduced by Representatives Lance Gooden (R-TX)
and Chris Pappas (D-NH) in coordination with
BLET.
The bill requires that train crew changes
happen at the international border between
the U.S. and Mexico, mandating that only
U.S. locomotive engineers operate trains
within the U.S coming from Mexico. This
legislation would protect communities like
Laredo and Eagle Pass, Texas, where federal
waivers have allowed train crews based in
Mexico to steal U.S. jobs. This legislation
(H.R. 8468) would override those waivers and
permanently protect the jobs of BLET
members. Click here (PDF) to see the text of the bill.
BLET National President Mark Wallace said, “In repeated visits to the
southern border, I heard one consistent
message from BLET members: railroad jobs in
America should be done by Americans.”
The BLET needs support from as many
Representatives as possible to ensure that
this commonsense legislation passes. BLET
members are needed to reach out to their
elected Representatives on the importance of
cosponsoring the legislation. The union also
is asking all active and retired BLET
members, their family and friends, and the
BLET Auxiliary to contact their
Representatives today so BLET can build
enough support within the U.S. House of
Representatives to get the legislation
passed.
Options are available to either call or send
an email to your Representative. Click here
and Take Action today.
Locomotive photo by by David Hawkins
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LOUISIANA:
Members discuss CPKC tentative
agreement at Division 599’s 18th
annual crawfish boil in
Shreveport
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From left: GC Billy Evans;
Texas SLB S-T Scott Piekarski; National Vice
President Jeff Thurman; Louisiana SLBC
Richard Barnett; GC David Spradlin; Texas
SLBC Ben Wright; Div. 599 S-T and Head Cook
Mike Rogers; Division 632 S-T Greg Jones;
and Div. 599 LC Josh Jennings.
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In April, the members of BLET Division 599
in Shreveport, La., hosted their 18th
annual crawfish boil. Members of Division
632 in nearby Minden, La., were also on
hand to help host and participate in the
family-friendly event.
Members of the two divisions work for CPKC
on the former Kansas City Southern
territory. BLET General
Chairmen David Spradlin (KCS, CPKC Consolidated Territory)
and Billy Evans (MidSouth, CPKC Consolidated
Territory) conducted Brotherhood business
throughout the day, holding informal
discussions with members regarding BLET’s
recently-announced tentative agreement with CPKC.
Division 599
Secretary-Treasurer Mike Rogers volunteered as head cook and had
help from several others, including
Division 632
Secretary-Treasurer Greg Jones Division 599 Local
Chairman Josh Jennings, Division 632 member Matt Duet, and GC Spradlin. The team prepared food
for about 200 members and guests,
including 55 sacks of crawfish (1,600
pounds) in addition to sausage, corn, and
potatoes.
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