BMWED

What BMWED does

BMWED (Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters) is a U.S. labor union representing railroad maintenance of way workers, the employees responsible for inspecting, repairing, and constructing track infrastructure on Class I freight railroads. Founded in 1887 and headquartered in Novi, Michigan, BMWED operates as a chartered division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and is part of the Teamsters Rail Conference alongside the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The union is organized into 12 system federations encompassing more than 350 lodges across the United States, and is governed quadrennially by a National Division Convention that elects the President, Secretary-Treasurer, and National Division vice presidents. Current elected leadership consists of President Tony D. Carwell and Secretary-Treasurer Dale E. Bogart Jr., both re-elected in June 2026.

The organization has no commercial technology products and no AI capabilities. Its offering to members is representational and advocacy-based: collective bargaining with Class I railroads, legislative advocacy before Congress on rail-specific issues, protection of safety and inspection standards, and member benefits delivered through the union structure. Revenue is derived entirely from member dues; the organization does not publish financial statements and does not pursue external investment or commercial monetization. Outreach to members and the public occurs through a member portal, an RSS news feed, an email E-Alert system, and organic social media channels (Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram).

BMWED's near-term strategic activity is overwhelmingly defensive and focused on three issues: opposing the proposed $85 billion Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger (including via the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition it helped launch in April 2026), opposing the deployment of Automated Track Inspection (ATI) systems that replace human visual track inspectors under federal waiver (with CSX, UP, and BNSF all advancing such programs), and advocating for increased federal funding for the Railroad Retirement Board and National Mediation Board. In May 2026, BMWED secured a legislative victory when the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed an amendment codifying twice-per-week visual track inspection requirements as part of the BUILD America 250 Act. The organization operates from a small national headquarters staff of 11-50 employees, with field representation and lodge governance carried out by elected rank-and-file members.

Name

BMWED

Legal name

Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Website

https://bmwe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BMWED is a U.S. labor union, founded in 1887 and operating as a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing railroad maintenance of way workers across 12 system federations and 350+ lodges in collective bargaining, legislative advocacy, and workplace safety.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Novi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BMWED is a non-profit labor union division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that represents U.S. railroad maintenance of way workers. It delivers collective bargaining representation with Class I railroads, legislative advocacy before Congress, workplace safety standard protection (notably around automated track inspection), and member benefits administered through a lodge system of 12 system federations and more than 350 lodges.

Product overview

BMWED (Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters) is a labor union representing railroad maintenance workers. It does not offer technology products or services. The organization provides member benefits, legislative advocacy, and represents workers in negotiations regarding rail industry issues such as the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger and automated track inspection (ATI) technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership (BMWED-IBT) Membership in the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED-IBT) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, available to railroad maintenance of way workers and providing access to collective bargaining representation, member benefits, the member web portal, and advocacy on safety, retirement, and technology-displacement issues.
• Collective Bargaining Representation Representation of maintenance of way workers in contract negotiations with U.S. Class I railroads, including protection of wages, benefits, job security, and working conditions.
• Legislative Advocacy Services Federal legislative advocacy on behalf of BMWED members, including work with Congress on issues such as Railroad Retirement Board funding, visual track inspection protection, and opposition to the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger.
• Member Benefits Program Member benefits delivered through the union's lodge structure, accessed via the members-only portal at bmwe.org/members, including communications (E-Alerts, journal), representation services, and access to IBT affiliate resources.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teamsters Rail ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMWED is a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and operates as part of the Teamsters Rail Conference alongside BLET (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen). The Rail Conference advances joint resolutions on rail industry issues including the UP-NS merger, technology, and worker protection at IBT Conventions.
• Stop the Rail Merger CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA broad coalition launched by BMWED and other stakeholders to oppose the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. If allowed to proceed, the deal would create the largest consolidated railroad in U.S. history and give a single entity control over almost half of the nation's rail traffic.
• Teamsters Joint Council 25minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMWED participates in Teamsters Joint Council 25 Lobby Day activities, coordinating legislative advocacy efforts with other Teamsters affiliates in the region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Peers

• National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA):

Direct peers

• Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET): Direct peer — BLET is the other half of the Teamsters Rail Conference alongside BMWED, representing locomotive engineers and trainmen in the same Class I railroads. Both unions share the Teamsters Rail Conference structure and coordinate on the same UP-NS merger and ATI advocacy issues.
• Transport Workers Union of America (TWU): Direct peer — TWU represents workers across rail transit, aviation, and other transportation modes, sharing BMWED's member-funded, dues-based model and engaging in federal labor and safety advocacy on parallel issues.
• Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS): Direct peer — BRS represents railroad signalmen who install and maintain the trackside signaling, switching, and communication systems that intersect directly with the maintenance-of-way work BMWED members perform. Both unions face the same ATI/automation pressures and bargain with the same Class I carriers.
• SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD): Direct peer — SMART-TD represents conductors, locomotive engineers, and other operating craft railroad workers. Like BMWED, it bargains with the same Class I freight railroads on national agreements and engages in federal rail policy and safety advocacy.
• Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division (BMWED-IBT): Direct peer — The Carmen Division represents workers who inspect, repair, and maintain rail cars and locomotives, sitting within the same IBT rail footprint as BMWED and bargaining with overlapping Class I railroad employers.
• National Conference of Firemen & Oilers, SEIU (NCFO): Direct peer — NCFO represents stationary engineers, firemen, oilers, and maintenance workers in rail and transit properties. Operates with the same union model (collective bargaining, dues-funded, member-governed) and works on similar labor-side legislative advocacy in transportation.
• American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA): Direct peer — ATDA represents rail train dispatchers at multiple Class I carriers, operating as an independent rail labor union. It bargains with the same counterparties as BMWED and shares exposure to industry consolidation and automation trends.

Emerging players

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): EMERGING_PLAYER — IBEW represents certain railroad electrical and signal craft workers, partially overlapping with maintenance-of-way electrical work. Operates as a separate AFL-CIO craft union with similar dues-funded representation but distinct collective bargaining agreements.
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW): EMERGING_PLAYER — IAM represents certain rail and transit mechanical and maintenance workers at some passenger and freight carriers, creating partial overlap with BMWED's maintenance-of-way scope in some properties. Less specialized in Class I freight track maintenance but shares the same structural labor-union model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BrotherhoodofMaintenanceofWayEmployesIBT
• Facebookfacebook.com/290792087644965
• Instagraminstagram.com/bmwed_ibt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brotherhood-of-maintenance-of-way-employes-division-of-the-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BMWED