INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a new five-year contract with Union Pacific by a wide margin, the union announced today.
The agreement, which includes raises totaling 18.8%, compounded, over the life of the contract, covers almost 6,000 BLET members at UP. It was ratified by a 2,467-527 margin.
“This agreement delivers much-needed pay increases and closes this round of bargaining without any concessions to work rules,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said in a press release. “Members decided it was equitable, addressing quality-of-life issues like meal increases while preserving the integrity of the 11/4 work-rest agreement. It keeps wages ahead of inflation.”
Other aspects of the agreement include accelerated accrual of vacation time; improvements to health and welfare benefits, including a new optional reduced-cost medical plan for employees; improvements to discipline and claims handling; and increased away-from-home meal allowances. The vacation-time changes provide for three weeks after six years, rather than eight; four weeks after 15 years, instead of 17; and five weeks after 23 years, rather than 25.
UP previously announced a deal with the other major operating union, SMART-TD, that will protect jobs if its merger with Norfolk Southern is approved [see “SMART-TD backs UP-NS merger …,” Trains.com, Sept. 22, 2025]. Eleven other unions have ratified agreements for the new contract term that began July 1.
