The IAM Union Rail Division has announced that it is monitoring the proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern by Union Pacific. The union said the merger could significantly alter the freight rail sector and highlighted concerns related to community safety, job security, workers’ rights, competition, and the long-term stability of the industry.
In a statement, the IAM Union Rail Division called for openness during regulatory scrutiny: “The IAM Union Rail Division urges complete transparency throughout the Surface Transportation Board’s regulatory review process and will fight to protect our members’ jobs, rights, and livelihoods. We hope that this merger will value workers over the corporate bottom line.”
The union also emphasized its ongoing priorities: “Our priority remains the safety of the public and the economic security of our members. As this proposal progresses, we will use every available resource to hold carriers and regulators accountable.”
Members of both the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and IAM District 19 are represented by the IAM Rail Division. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions with about 600,000 active and retired members in sectors such as aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, manufacturing, transit, healthcare, automotive, among others.