The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition announced today that the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and IAM District 19 have joined the coalition, adding their voice to a growing alliance of rail labor organizations and other industry stakeholders opposed to the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger.
The two unions, both part of the IAM Rail Division, represent thousands of rail workers whose jobs, families, and communities could be directly affected by the proposed merger. By joining the coalition, they aim to strengthen labor’s collective voice and ensure rail workers’ concerns are heard and addressed as the Surface Transportation Board reviews the proposed merger.
IAM Special Assistant to the International President Josh Hartford said the rail industry has spent decades cutting jobs and consolidating operations while delivering strong returns to shareholders, adding:
“Our members should not be forced to bear the cost of another massive consolidation.”
Rail workers have also raised concerns about the merger’s potential impact on job security, contracting out, facility closures, rail competition, and safety, as well as the communities that depend on good railroad jobs. TCU/IAM National President Matt Hollis and IAM District 19 President and Directing General Chair Reece Murtagh both framed the coalition as a way to unify labor’s voice and push for enforceable, binding protections for workers, their jobs, and their communities.
Full TCU/IAM and IAM District 19 statement: https://www.tcunion.org/news/tcu-iam-and-iam-district-19-join-stop-the-rail-merger-coalition/