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. “Members decided it was equitable, addressing quality-of-life issues like meal increases while preserving the integrity of the 11/4 work-rest agreement. 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.