Jobs for Life: A Firm Promise to Union Employees
Author: Josh Perkes, Chief Human Resources Officer | April 9, 2026
Key Takeaways:
● Lifetime job guarantee for union workers: Union Pacific Railroad commits that all union employees who have a job at the time of the merger with Norfolk Southern will have jobs for life, regardless of economic conditions—going beyond standard protections like New York Dock labor protection.
● Growth-driven rationale: The merger aims to create a coast-to-coast, single-line railroad, which will be more cost-efficient and competitive with trucking, increase market share and require additional union jobs.
● Union alignment and strategic positioning: Multiple unions (including SMART-TD, the nation's largest rail labor organization) support the merger, with agreements focused on operational efficiency and safety—framing the deal as a long-term growth move to protect and expand high-paying rail careers.
● Lifetime job guarantee for union workers: Union Pacific Railroad commits that all union employees who have a job at the time of the merger with Norfolk Southern will have jobs for life, regardless of economic conditions—going beyond standard protections like New York Dock labor protection.
● Growth-driven rationale: The merger aims to create a coast-to-coast, single-line railroad, which will be more cost-efficient and competitive with trucking, increase market share and require additional union jobs.
● Union alignment and strategic positioning: Multiple unions (including SMART-TD, the nation's largest rail labor organization) support the merger, with agreements focused on operational efficiency and safety—framing the deal as a long-term growth move to protect and expand high-paying rail careers.
Josh Perkes
Instead of requesting unrelated concessions, these six mutual agreements focus on practical opportunities that empower our employees to work safely and efficiently as one combined company.
Union Pacific’s jobs-for-life commitment — which applies to every union employee, regardless of formal agreement — is in addition to the New York Dock labor protection typically imposed by regulators in large railroad mergers and goes above and beyond.
While New York Dock provides temporary income protection up to six years — and only to those who prove they were negatively affected by the merger — Union Pacific’s guarantee promises career-long employment.
Our commitment could not be clearer: from the Maintenance of Way employees inspecting track to the locomotive engineers and train service employees moving freight to the mechanics maintaining equipment — you will have a job for life with America’s first transcontinental railroad.
To protect our nation’s best-paid industrial careers, our rail industry must take an innovative step forward to reclaim market share from trucking. Our vision is bold, but it’s clear, grounded in growth and backed by thousands of union employees who understand the time for standing still is over.
Union Pacific’s jobs-for-life commitment — which applies to every union employee, regardless of formal agreement — is in addition to the New York Dock labor protection typically imposed by regulators in large railroad mergers and goes above and beyond.
While New York Dock provides temporary income protection up to six years — and only to those who prove they were negatively affected by the merger — Union Pacific’s guarantee promises career-long employment.
Our commitment could not be clearer: from the Maintenance of Way employees inspecting track to the locomotive engineers and train service employees moving freight to the mechanics maintaining equipment — you will have a job for life with America’s first transcontinental railroad.
To protect our nation’s best-paid industrial careers, our rail industry must take an innovative step forward to reclaim market share from trucking. Our vision is bold, but it’s clear, grounded in growth and backed by thousands of union employees who understand the time for standing still is over.
Next Read: Union Jobs for Life: An Unprecedented Pledge Enabled by Growth
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