Monopoly Busters Caucus Chairs, Labor Caucus Leaders Press Rail Regulator on Proposed Norfolk Southern-Union Pacific Merger

WASHINGTON, DC -Yesterday, the Chairs of the House Monopoly Busters Caucus and Chairs of the Labor Caucus pressed the Surface Transportation Board (STB) about the proposed merger of Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. The Monopoly Busters Caucus Chairs Reps. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Pat Ryan (NY-18), and Angie Craig (MN-02) and Labor Caucus Chairs Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Donald Norcross (NJ-01) cited serious concerns over the deal's potential to devastate rail workers and compromise public safety.

In a letter to the rail regulator, the Chairs lay out a series of questions about the merger's impact on rail workers, safety protocols, and market competition that must be addressed before the Board moves forward with any approval.

"Rail workers have borne the brunt of decades of industry consolidation and cost-cutting priorities that put corporate profits above worker and public safety," the Chairs wrote. "A merger of this magnitude would affect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers, and it is critical that the STB fully account for these impacts."

The letter highlights the history of intense consolidation in the rail industry, noting that since the 1980s, the number of Class I freight railroads has plummeted from 33 to just six, while total rail employment has fallen from 500,000 to fewer than 200,000. The Chairs also pointed to the catastrophic February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, as a stark reminder of the safety failures that can happen under existing operational practices and consolidated corporate power.

The Chairs are demanding that the STB require the rail companies to provide verified responses to questions regarding:

• Accountability for Past Deals: A full audit of whether Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific actually fulfilled the labor and safety commitments they made during previous acquisitions and mergers;
• Workforce Impact: Provide current staffing levels and specific projections for job losses or changes to unionized craft positions over the next five years;
• Safety Integration: Detailed plans on how the companies will merge two complex networks without compromising track maintenance, hazardous-materials training, or worker safety; and
• Protection of Bargaining Power: Analysis of how reducing the number of major employers from six down to five will impact wage growth and collective-bargaining leverage for rail unions.

The lawmakers have asked STB Chair Patrick Fuchs to make these responses available to the public and to Congress at least 60 days prior to any final decision on whether the merger is in the public interest.

The full letter can be found here.

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