Six rail labor unions asked federal regulators Aug. 19 to immediately reject Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern. The filing adds organized labor's voice to concerns already raised by Wheaton and six other suburbs along the Metra UP West Line.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) led the coalition's request to the Surface Transportation Board. BLET represents about 250 Metra locomotive engineers, according to a June contract announcement, and roughly 2,000 active members across Illinois as of the union's 2022 statewide count, the DuPage Policy Journal reported.
The unions argue the merger application fails to show the transaction would enhance competition or serve the public interest. Those are requirements under stricter federal rules adopted after railroad consolidations in the 1990s disrupted service and eliminated jobs, according to BLET's announcement.
In their joint filing, the unions wrote that they "lived through the adverse consequences" of 1990s mergers that prompted the current rules.
Wheaton's stake
Wheaton joined Berkeley, Elmhurst, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Winfield and Geneva in January to form the Western Chicagoland Merger Oversight Alliance (WCMOA). Winfield serves as lead agency. Each community agreed to contribute about $7,142 toward a maximum $50,000 in shared legal costs for representation before the STB, according to a Village of Berkeley memorandum.
The alliance's stated purpose is to present unified opposition to the merger or, at minimum, open discussions with Union Pacific about local impacts, specifically the effect of increased freight traffic on emergency services.
The UP West Line between Elburn and Berkeley currently handles about 50 freight trains and 59 Metra trains per day, the Berkeley memo states. An initial review of the merger application indicated four additional freight trains per day on that stretch. More recent railroad estimates reported by the Daily Herald in May projected five additional freight trains per day for suburbs west of Berkeley, including Wheaton.
Winfield Village Manager Evan Summers told the Daily Herald in May that freight traffic was projected to grow 10% to 20% along the communities' portion of the line.
Not a blanket opposition
The alliance has not taken a uniform stance against the merger. Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin told the Daily Herald the communities were sharing costs and monitoring the proceeding to ensure local concerns were addressed. He said Elmhurst would not oppose the transaction if its effects on residents and Metra service remained minor.
Union Pacific said in January that the railroad "looks forward to engaging with this group of municipalities and other key stakeholders to listen to their concerns and answer their questions," as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Metra said at the time it would closely follow the process and assess potential impacts to passenger service.
What happens next
The STB adopted a procedural schedule Aug. 18 and resumed its review of the revised merger application. The BLET-led coalition submitted its dismissal request the following day. The board has not ruled.
BLET was joined in the filing by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, SMART Mechanical Division, International Association of Machinists District 19 and Transportation Communications Union/IAM.
