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UP-NS MERGER:
47 Republican members of Congress tell federal regulators if UP-NS merger doesn’t promote competition it shouldn’t move forward
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A February 4 letter co-signed by 47 Republican members of Congress urges the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a “rigorous and comprehensive” review of proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The Representatives said that if STB cannot ensure that the merger enhances competition, then STB should not permit the transaction to proceed.
The letter reads in part, “Some of us are already hearing initial concerns about the UP-NS application and its lack of serious and meaningful commitments to enhance competition and protect against service meltdowns. In light of this, the Board must consider with extreme care the potential risks posed by this transaction to determine whether it meets the public interest test.”
The BLET, in conjunction with Teamsters Rail Conference affiliate BMWED has publicly stated its strong opposition to the merger.
Last month, BLET National President Mark Wallace and First Vice President Garrison Best visited key members of Congress, from both side of the aisle, including some of the letter signers. The Hill visits were part of an ongoing effort to build bipartisan support for issues of importance to BLET members, including the proposed UP-NS merger.
In addition to activity on Capitol Hill related to the proposed creation of a transcontinental railroad, it’s important to note the STB’s unanimous decision last month to reject the UP-NS merger application, ruling that it was incomplete. The railroads have said they plan to re-file by March.
Download a copy of the February 4 letter from the BLET website (PDF).
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NEW YORK:
BLET effort helps stop Metro-North expansion, protecting member jobs at Amtrak
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Amtrak operates in New York State over parts of the federally designated intercity passenger rail network, while state law restricts MTA's operational jurisdiction to specific areas.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul is backing off of a misguided plan to run Metro-North commuter trains on Amtrak territory, a move that would have resulted in job losses for members of the BLET.
It was a team effort that led to this reversal and a win for BLET. After Amtrak General Chairman Pat Darcy sounded the alarm about a plan that would violate federal and state laws related to passenger rail as well as BLET’s collective bargaining agreement  with Amtrak, BLET National President Mark Wallace reached out to the Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and spoke to Amtrak President Roger Harris. The BLET President also connected with the governor’s staff and in his capacity as President of the Teamsters Rail Conference wrote a letter to Hochul. A copy of the letter can be found here (PDF). Meanwhile, BLET members were encouraged to join a “Take Action” campaign through the National Division website to educate New York legislators about the negative repercussions of the move.
BLET National Vice President Jim Louis, who is assigned to assist BLET’s commuter rail General Committees of Adjustment, said through the Take Action effort more than 650 communications were sent to state representatives throughout the affected service areas of New York.
As further background, New York State announced plans to extend Metro-North service north of Poughkeepsie into Albany. BLET argued that this change in service is not allowed under New York Public Authorities Law, specifically §§1262, 1263, 1264, and 1266(e), which strictly limits the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) jurisdiction to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District. Albany, Rensselaer, and every community north of Dutchess County fall outside that district, by law. This corridor between Poughkeepsie and Albany, which has been operated by Amtrak for decades, is also part of the federally designated intercity passenger rail network under 49 U.S.C. §24701, giving Amtrak exclusive right to operate this service.
“The BLET played offense this time and it helped protect the jobs of our Brothers and Sisters in Division 752,” said General Chairman Darcy.
Metro-North is operated by the MTA. BLET is currently engaged in an ongoing dispute at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), also operated by MTA. Bargaining as part of a coalition with four other rail unions, BLET last month requested a second Presidential Emergency Board to help settle the dispute.
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DEEPEST CONDOLENCES:
BLET mourns the loss of California State Legislative Board Chairman Ryan Snow, 1964-2026
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The BLET National Division extends deepest condolences to the family and friends of Brother Ryan Snow who unexpectedly passed away on February 4. He was 61 years old.
Snow’s railroad career began in 1998 when he hired out with the Union Pacific Railroad in Bakersfield, Calif., and he first joined the BLET in 1999. Brother Snow was a proud U.S. Navy veteran, having served from 1982-1986. A member of BLET Division 126 in Bakersfield, Calif., he had served as the California State Legislative Board Chairman for the past nine years.
Brother Snow is survived by his wife of 39 years, Verna.
“Brother Ryan was a strong advocate for BLET members and kept the interests of our Brotherhood first and foremost in his thoughts and actions,” said BLET National President Mark Wallace. “During his tenure, he led the Board in lobbying for passage of stronger rail safety laws, increased funding for Caltrain and other commuter rail agencies, and many other issues to advance the interests of locomotive engineers and trainmen. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. On behalf of the BLET Advisory Board, I extend deepest condolences to Verna and all who knew and worked with Brother Ryan.”
Arrangements for Brother Snow are pending and will be announced when available. In the meantime, a GoFundMe has been established to help his family with expenses.
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COLORADO:
BLET members ratify new agreement with Great Western Railway of Colorado
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On February 10, BLET members ratified a new contract with the Great Western Railway of Colorado (GWR). The new contract provides pay increases, paid sick leave days, and protects the members’ health and welfare benefits.
The negotiating team consisted of BNSF (former ATSF) General Chairman Rob Cunningham, BNSF-ATSF Vice General Chairman Jeremy McFather, Division 256 Local Chairman Mike Dunkelberger, and National Vice President Bill Lyons.
The BLET first organized the GWR property in 2003. Its members belong to Division 256 in Denver, and they are represented by the BNSF (former ATSF) General Committee of Adjustment for purposes of contract negotiations and enforcement.
GWR is an OmniTRAX property headquartered in Denver, Colo. The short line operates over 80 miles of track throughout Colorado and interchanges with the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific.
Photo by C.N. Southwell, BLET Division 163
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NATIONAL HEALTH & WELFARE PLAN BENEFITS:
Fitness that fits you
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If you or a family member have made a New Year’s resolution to hit the gym in 2026, this United HealthCare program may be what you’re looking for. A program titled One Pass Select provides access to a nationwide network of fitness locations, online workouts, and more, all with one convenient monthly membership. It is one of several benefits offered as part of the BLET’s National Health & Welfare Plan, and can be used by members as well as their covered spouses and dependents.
Monthly plan options include Classic ($34 per month), Standard ($69 per month), Premium ($109 per month), and Elite ($249 per month). Plans provide access to several services, including:
• Any location in a nationwide gym network.
• Thousands of online fitness classes.
• Group fitness classes.
• Access to local fitness studios.
• Home grocery delivery.
See this flyer (PDF) on the Your Track to Health (YTTH) website for additional details.
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH:
100 years ago, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters made major gains as first union for African American railroad workers
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Founded on August 25, 1925, by A. Philip Randolph, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) was the first African American labor union to secure a collective bargaining agreement with a major corporation, the Pullman Company.
With the decline of passenger rail travel in the 1940s and 50s, the union merged with the Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC), a predecessor union of today's Transport Communications Union (TCU/IAM).
The following excerpt praising the early rise of the BSCP was published 100 years ago in BLET's membership magazine, the Locomotive Engineers Journal:
“Inside of one year, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters has organized over 5,000 Pullman porters and maids, over half the total number employed, and has invoked the aid of the United States Railroad Mediation Board in obtaining recognition from the Pullman Company as the proper organization to represent the porters in their demands for an increased wage.
“The rapid growth of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters is one of the most striking events in recent labor history. Confronted by a giant corporation backed by the Morgans and Vanderbilts with net profits exceeding $14 million a year, a half dozen courageous organizers have routed the Pullman company union, organized the employees under conditions of utmost difficulty, and exposed the bribes paid to editors, clergymen, and lawyers by the Pullman Company to help crush the new Brotherhood.
“The growing power of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters has already wrested an eight percent 'voluntary' wage increase from the Pullman Company. The porters intend to get more.
“More power to the newest Brotherhood in the railway industry!”
(From the November 1926 issue of the Locomotive Engineers Journal. For more information about BSCP and the Rexall train pictured above, please read David D. Perata's 1996 book titled “Those Pullman Blues: An Oral History of the African American Attendant.”)
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