A GE AC4400CW diesel-electric locomotive in Union Pacific livery is seen near Union Station in Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2022.
Bing Guan | Reuters
Locomotive engineers atUnion Pacificvoted to ratify a new five-year contract with the railroad operator, the BLET-Teamsters union said on Friday.
Under the new contract, nearly 6,000 members represented by theBrotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a division of the rail conference of theInternational Brotherhood of Teamsters(IBT), will earn raises of 18.8% over the life of the agreement.
The contract also includes improved health and welfare benefits, the union said.
Last week, the largestU.S.railroad union, SMART-TD, approvedUnion Pacific’s$85 billionacquisition ofNorfolk Southern, helping to advance a deal that had been expected to face resistance from unions and regulators.
The deal will create the nation’s first coast-to-coast freight rail operator and reshape the movement of goods from grains to autos across the country.
The two companies are expected to file a formal merger application with theSurface Transportation Board, which oversees rail competition and service, by late October or byJanuary 2026.
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