All Access

Supply Chain Deals

Supply Chain Deals Alerts

Alert

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

pittsburgh

atlanta

san-diego

charlotte

boulder

washington-dc

kansas-city

dallas

denver

detroit

des-moines

austin

boston

chicago

cleveland

columbus

houston

indianapolis

miami

nashville

new-orleans

nw-arkansas

philadelphia

phoenix

portland

richmond

salt-lake-city

san-antonio

san-francisco

seattle

tampa-bay

twin-cities

raleigh

huntsville

colorado-springs

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

A pair of Teamsters-affiliated railroad unions announced Wednesday that they are opposing Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion deal for Norfolk Southern.

Why it matters: The Teamsters Rail Conference represents 53% of the railroads' union workers. 

Context: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division's (BMWED) decision followed five months of member meetings and talks with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena.

What they're saying: Mark Wallace, president of BLET, the nation's oldest rail union, rejected Union Pacific's argument that the deal will improve U.S. freight rail's competitiveness with trucking.

"We believe this transcontinental railroad will make shipping by rail less attractive as the merged carrier passes off rail lines that serve small towns, factories and farms to short line railroads while running miles-long slow-moving trains on the main line," Wallace said.

"For rail customers it will be a choice between 'Hell or the highway,'" he added.

Catch up quick: The SMART-TD union threw its support behind the deal earlier this year after Union Pacific committed to protect all union jobs post-merger.

Yes, but: BMWED president Tony Cardwell called that "an empty promise" with "loopholes big enough to traverse freight trains through."

Friction point: The job security contract language says nothing about where or how far away a worker could be transferred, demoted or forced into another craft or railroad, Cardwell noted.

"In a critical omission, the job protections reached with other unions fail to address what happens when the merged railroad unloads a rail line through sale or lease — a common practice after a major acquisition," Cardwell said.

State of play: It will test the Teamsters' sway with a Trump administration that gave the union a platform in the campaign but signaled support for the Union Pacific deal after the railroad donated to the White House ballroom. 

"Hell or the highway": Teamsters rail unions oppose Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger

The Teamsters Rail Conference represents 53% of the railroads' union workers.

Illustration of an angry emoji on a railroad crossing sign.

A pair of Teamsters-affiliated railroad unions announced Wednesday that they are opposing Union Pacific&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="proposed $85 billion deal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/pro/supply-chain-deals/2025/11/14/union-pacific-norfolk-southern-shareholders-merger" data-vars-content-id="3c7f307b-41ef-49a1-80ec-4c60d9ab2f0b" data-vars-headline="&quot;Hell or the highway&quot;: Teamsters rail unions oppose Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/supply-chain-deals/2025/11/14/union-pacific-norfolk-southern-shareholders-merger" target="_self">proposed $85 billion deal</a> for Norfolk Southern.Why it matters: The Teamsters Rail Conference represents 53% of the railroads&#x27; union workers.

"Hell or the highway": Teamsters rail unions oppose Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger

What to read next