OMAHA, Neb. — The nation's largest railroad union joined the list of companies endorsing Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern Monday after securing promises to protect jobs, but other unions and chemical makers that rely on the railroads are still expressing concerns about the deal.

The SMART-TD union that represents conductors and other rail workers said Union Pacific put CEO Jim Vena's promise not to lay off any of its workers as a result of the merger in writing and promised to protect their jobs throughout their careers. But the head of one of the next biggest unions said he doesn't think this deal does nearly enough to protect rail jobs, so he's not ready to support the merger that would create the nation's first transcontinental railroad.

The union's

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