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 at Union Pacific voted 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 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a division of the rail conference of the International 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 largest U.S. railroad union, SMART-TD, approved Union Pacific’s $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk 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 the Surface Transportation Board, which oversees rail competition and service, by late October or by January 2026.
