Protecting the Jobs That Keep America Moving
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have made an unprecedented promise to its union employees – every union employee with a job at the time of the merger will continue to have one. The merger has the endorsement of several rail unions and is subject to Surface Transportation Board (STB) review, which includes oversight of labor impacts. Existing labor agreements and statutory protections are designed to safeguard employees, while the combined network is positioned to support long-term workforce stability.
What “Jobs For Life" Means
The tremendous growth opportunity expected from this merger allowed us to make a pledge unprecedented in the history of railroading: jobs for life for union employees with the company at the time of the merger. We are putting that pledge in writing with International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division(SMART-TD), American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), United Supervisors Council of America (USCA), and National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO) continue to work with our remaining unions.
Jobs and Tenure: Careers, Not Short-Term Roles
Railroaders working at Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern average more than 13 years of service, roughly three times the national average. That institutional knowledge is an asset to preserve and build upon. Approximately 1,200 net new union jobs are expected by year three.
Compensation and Benefits
Railroad jobs have long provided strong wages, benefits and long-term stability, and this combination will strengthen that foundation. Employees earn competitive pay and retirement income that runs roughly twice the average Social Security recipient, reflecting the value of skilled railroad work.
Railroading also offers meaningful benefits that support employees and their families. At Union Pacific, these include free college tuition starting on day one, an employee stock purchase plan with a company match, free counseling and family life services and company-supported employee assistance funds.
This combination will also strengthen America’s ability to compete for good-paying union jobs. Today, Canada benefits from a connected transcontinental network that attracts freight and supports rail employment. A unified U.S. network will help bring that volume — and those jobs — back to American workers.
Railroading also offers meaningful benefits that support employees and their families. At Union Pacific, these include free college tuition starting on day one, an employee stock purchase plan with a company match, free counseling and family life services and company-supported employee assistance funds.
This combination will also strengthen America’s ability to compete for good-paying union jobs. Today, Canada benefits from a connected transcontinental network that attracts freight and supports rail employment. A unified U.S. network will help bring that volume — and those jobs — back to American workers.
Safety: The Foundation of Everything We Do
Safety is the foundation of how the combined railroad will operate. The goal is simple and non-negotiable: every employee goes home safe to their family at the end of every shift.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety data — highlighted by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) — shows 2025 was the safest year on record for the rail industry, with Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern both delivering best in industry results. Union Pacific achieved its best-ever full-year personal injury and derailment incident rates, improving 24% and 19% year-over-year, respectively. Norfolk Southern marked its best annual accident rate in more than a decade, reducing FRA-reportable train accidents by more than 29% and FRA-reportable injury rate by 15% year over year.
The combined company will build on that progress with a unified safety integration plan developed with FRA input and submitted to the STB. Bringing together two strong safety cultures creates the potential to set a new standard for the industry.
Read more about our safety efforts.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety data — highlighted by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) — shows 2025 was the safest year on record for the rail industry, with Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern both delivering best in industry results. Union Pacific achieved its best-ever full-year personal injury and derailment incident rates, improving 24% and 19% year-over-year, respectively. Norfolk Southern marked its best annual accident rate in more than a decade, reducing FRA-reportable train accidents by more than 29% and FRA-reportable injury rate by 15% year over year.
The combined company will build on that progress with a unified safety integration plan developed with FRA input and submitted to the STB. Bringing together two strong safety cultures creates the potential to set a new standard for the industry.
Read more about our safety efforts.
"Beyond workforce stability, this merger presents significant opportunities to strengthen freight mobility nationwide. The creation of the nation's first coast-to-coast railroad would expand service options, improve network fluidity, reduce truck congestion on taxpayer-funded highways, and drive economic growth across communities that depend on reliable freight service."
— Jeremy Ferguson
President, SMART-TD
FAQ
Are union jobs protected if the transaction is approved?
Every union employee at the time of combination retains their job, subject to the usual requirements for continued employment, with efficiencies achieved solely through attrition.
Union Pacific says every union employee at the time of the merger will have a job for life. Why should employees believe that?
Because we’re putting our operating plan behind it. This is an end-to-end combination that will grow the business – more traffic, more service, more opportunity – not a cost-cutting exercise built on reducing headcount. We need our skilled workforce to deliver the service improvements customers are demanding.
Critics say mergers always lead to job losses. Why is this different?
Our commitment is grounded in binding labor agreements and a business plan that depends on a strong workforce. We’re also engaging directly with our labor partners and regulators to ensure this commitment is durable and transparent.
Is this really just a pledge to reduce jobs through attrition?
No. Like any large organization, we manage natural attrition to be more efficient, but the goal here is growth. As we win new business and expand service, we expect to create opportunities for our current employees, not shrink the workforce.
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