TCU/IAM and IAM District 19 Join Stop the Rail Merger Coalition

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2026 – The Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and IAM District 19 have joined the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, strengthening a growing alliance of rail labor organizations and other industry stakeholders opposed to the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger.

TCU/IAM and District 19, 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, the unions will work alongside other stakeholders to strengthen their collective voice and ensure rail workers’ concerns are heard and addressed throughout the merger review process.

“Railroad workers have watched this industry eliminate jobs and consolidate operations for decades while generating enormous returns for shareholders,” said Josh Hartford, IAM Special Assistant to the International President for the IAM Rail Division. “Joining this coalition builds broader support for our efforts to protect workers and the long-term health of the rail industry. Our members should not be forced to bear the cost of another massive consolidation.”

Rail workers have raised serious concerns about the merger’s potential impact on job security, contracting out, facility closures and consolidation, rail competition, safety and the communities that depend on good railroad jobs.

“This proposed merger would have far-reaching consequences across the railroad industry, and the people who keep our rail system moving deserve a meaningful voice in the process,” said TCU/IAM National President Matt Hollis. “By joining the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, we can work together with rail labor and other industry stakeholders to strengthen our voices, share information and make sure our members’ concerns are heard and addressed. When workers and affected stakeholders stand together, we are better positioned to demand real accountability and enforceable protections.”

The IAM Rail Division has also raised concerns that the worker protections offered in connection with the proposed merger do not go far enough to protect against furloughs, abolished positions, relocation of work, contracting out or the gradual elimination of jobs through attrition and consolidation.

“Our members understand from experience what railroad consolidation can mean: fewer jobs, closed facilities, more contracting out and work being moved away from the communities that depend on it,” said IAM District 19 President and Directing General Chair Reece Murtagh. “District 19 is joining this coalition to stand with others across the industry and demand that the voices of frontline rail workers are taken seriously. We will continue fighting for binding protections for our members, their jobs and their communities.”

The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, healthcare, automotive and other industries across North America.

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