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Possible freight railroad strike could shut down multiple Metra lines, cripple supply chain- UPDATE-2nd union votes NO, 4 left to vote LARGEST SAYS NO

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Possible freight railroad strike could shut down multiple Metra lines

Tue, September 13, 2022 at 10:31 AM
The Biden administration has been working to avert the strike, which could begin late this coming Friday and could cost the U.S. economy at least $2 billion daily in lost productivity, potentially sparking yet another supply chain crisis.

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The train companies are trying to sucker the Congress to force the workers to come back to work. These train companies made a lot of money over the last few years they need to stop being assholes.
 
TheFuser said:
They got these people on 24/7 on call. Man fuck that. Pay them and give them reasonable time off. Power to the fucking people
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Exactly I know some things may be in short supply but no I have to stick up for those guys because I am a worker bee myself at a telecom company.
 
easy_b said:
Exactly I know some things may be in short supply but no I have to stick up for those guys because I am a worker bee myself at a telecom company.
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Problem with that being that they don't hire more workers..... just keep calling the ones they got in to work..... money's good but you get worked into the ground.... the issue with the workers is the sick time.... which you know they don't want to give them, because it will probably cause more overtime.... we captains had sorta the same type of shit in our contract..... they couldn't make a fireman an acting captain if it caused an overtime firefighter to be called in.... city wouldn't hire more firefighters...... I made more than $35K in overtime in one year...:yes::yes::yes:


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Crop and Car Shipments Set to Halt on US Rail-Strike Threat
  • Aerospace supplies, fuel, fertilizer are among goods at risk
  • Amtrak to cancel long-distance trains starting Thursday
US railroads are poised to stop shipments of farm products and other key goods starting Thursday as the industry braces for a possible labor strike that could cost the world’s biggest economy more than $2 billion a day.

Norfolk Southern Corp. plans to halt unit train shipments of bulk commodities on Thursday ahead of a potential freight strike the following day. The railroad also said it would stop accepting automobiles for transit at its facilities starting Wednesday afternoon. Other freight railroads are likely to follow suit, according to one agriculture group.

“We are hearing several rail carriers are tentatively planning to wind down shipments,” said Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association, which represents most US grain handlers.

A halt to shipments of grains, fertilizer, fuel and other crucial items threatens to hobble the US economy at a time of rampant inflation and fear of a prolonged global economic slump. Food-supply chains are especially at risk as farmers are gearing up for harvest and need to get their supplies to customers. Crops are in high demand due to shortages from the war in Ukraine and weather woes across the globe.

Prices for corn for loading into barges along the Mississippi River were rising Wednesday, as demand to ship grain on the water increases. That could accelerate as the harvest gets going over the next month.

“Our members rely on about 27 million bushels of corn and 11 million bushels of soybean meal every week to feed their chickens,” said Tom Super of the National Chicken Council. “Much of that is moved by rail.”

Wheat shippers also are heavily dependent on rail transportation. The spring variety of the grain, used to make foods like bagels and pizza dough, is now in the final stretch of harvest.

“It isn’t practical, feasible or even possible to shift US wheat movements to an alternate mode of transport to supply it where it needs to go daily,” said Justin Gilpin, chief executive officer of Kansas Wheat. “Both sides in these negotiations have to come to terms, it’s an absolute imperative for the agriculture economy.”

A strike could ripple through aerospace manufacturing as well. Boeing Co. relies on freight railroads to ship wingless 737 jetliner frames more than 1,800 miles (2,896 kilometers) from a supplier’s factory in Wichita, Kansas, to the planemaker’s final assembly lines south of Seattle. The narrowbody jet is a critical source of revenue and profit for the aviation titan.

Representatives of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., which builds the 737 fuselages, didn’t immediately comment on strike preparations.

Norfolk Southern intends to cease taking vehicle deliveries for transit as of 5 p.m. local time Wednesday and close its intermodal gates as well at that time, the Virginia-based railway said in a notice.

Representatives for Union Pacific Corp. also signaled it was prepared to curtail service as the Friday deadline looms.


BNSF Railway Co., owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said on Wednesday it has implemented an intermodal and automotive in-gate restriction plan ahead of a possible strike.

“BNSF remains committed to continue moving our customers’ freight as long as possible,” the Texas-based carrier said in a statement.

The preemptive halting of cargoes by some railways is aimed at ensuring crews aren’t stranded if a work stoppage occurs Friday morning, Fisher said. Reuters earlier reported on the plan.

Snarled freight shipments also would interfere with commuter rail service in cities including Chicago. It also is prompting Amtrak to cancel all long-distance trains starting Thursday to avoid possible disruptions, though most travel within the Northeast Corridor, which includes routes connecting Boston, New York and Washington, wouldn’t be affected.

With November midterm elections less than two months away, Democratic President Joe Biden is personally trying to break the logjam between industry and labor unions. The White House has started crafting contingency plans to ensure critical materials can reach consumers in the event of a work stoppage, a sign negotiations still have a long way to go.

US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Wednesday led negotiations between the unions and railroads, with all parties committed to staying at the table through the day, according to a Labor Department statement.

Fertilizer, Plastics
Railways are no longer shipping ammonia, an important component of about three quarters of all fertilizer, because it would be dangerous if the hazardous material was stranded during a potential rail strike, according to the Association of American Railroads. Ammonia is used in explosives as well as being an essential nutrient for plants.

A halt to rail shipments of ethanol threatens to reverse the recent slide in US gasoline pump prices from a record high. Almost three-quarters of the nation’s supply is moved on trains, mostly from Midwest plants -- where corn is made into the fuel additive -- to the East and West Coasts for blending into gasoline.

The petrochemical industry may be forced to slow down production at plants that churn out plastics and other products needed in industries across the nation if shipments of key hazardous chemicals necessary are delayed for an extended time.

Coal-fired power plants would continue to operate, drawing from on-site inventory, but utilities’ reserves fell to a 24-year low a year ago and haven’t increased much since then. Miners would likely continue to dig up the fuel, as long as they have space at their facilities to let it pile up.

“Once available storage is full, the plants would have to cut rates,” Robert Stier, senior petrochemicals analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said in an email. “These hazardous materials are the first products impacted. These are difficult to ship by any other means than specialized rail cars.”

Norfolk to Halt Bulk Rail Shipments From Thursday Ahead of Possible Strike (NSC) - Bloomberg


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lightbright said:
Problem with that being that they don't hire more workers..... just keep calling the ones they got in to work..... money's good but you get worked into the ground.... the issue with the workers is the sick time.... which you know they don't want to give them, because it will probably cause more overtime.... we captains had sorta the same type of shit in our contract..... they couldn't make a fireman an acting captain if it caused an overtime firefighter to be called in.... city wouldn't hire more firefighters...... I made more than $35K in overtime in one year...:yes::yes::yes:


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Greed. Pure unadulterated greed by the execs.
 
TheFuser said:
Greed. Pure unadulterated greed by the execs.
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Exactly and most of the train companies me a lot of money over the last couple years so at the end of the day is greed. These corporations better wait the fuck up because if everybody was to start working this whole shit will go to hell and they know it.
 
I'm kinda on the fence. I remember someone said those engineers make over 100k. This was 20 years ago. In the grand scheme of things the railroad are grossly unappreciated considering those tracks are older than 90% of US cities.
 
Concerns grow at water treatment plants across the country.... chlorine is shipped by rail..... boil water warnings may be coming all across the country if a strike happens
:frozen:

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Z MONSTER said:
I'm kinda on the fence. I remember someone said those engineers make over 100k. This was 20 years ago. In the grand scheme of things the railroad are grossly unappreciated considering those tracks are older than 90% of US cities.
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Don’t forget about the poor health the engineers are in after. Lung cancer an other cardiac illnesses
 
White House says tentative deal reached to avoid rail strike

1663234117782.jpg
A Union Pacific locomotive pulling railcars is visible on tracks in Truckee, Calif.

Rail companies and unions struck a tentative agreement on Thursday to avoid a strike that businesses feared would've led to severe supply chain disruptions, the White House said.

Why it matters: President Biden, in a pre-dawn statement, called the agreement "an important win for our economy." A strike could have driven up prices at a time when inflation is showing signs of remaining stubbornly high.

  • "These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned," Biden said.
  • "The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come."
State of play: Freight rail companies and union officials met with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in Washington on Wednesday and early into Thursday morning in an attempt to reach an agreement.

  • The negotiations, which Walsh said lasted more than 20 consecutive hours, had been approaching a Friday deadline to avoid a strike.
  • Fearing a strike, Amtrak had shut down long-distance service everywhere outside the Northeast corridor. The rail service uses freight tracks on many of its routes.
What they're saying: "The Biden Administration applauds all parties for reaching this hard-fought, mutually beneficial deal," Walsh said in a tweet.

  • "Our rail system is integral to our supply chain, and a disruption would have had catastrophic impacts on industries, travelers and families across the country."
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.






White House says tentative deal reached to avoid rail strike (axios.com)
 
lightbright said:
White House says tentative deal reached to avoid rail strike

1663234117782.jpg
A Union Pacific locomotive pulling railcars is visible on tracks in Truckee, Calif.

Rail companies and unions struck a tentative agreement on Thursday to avoid a strike that businesses feared would've led to severe supply chain disruptions, the White House said.

Why it matters: President Biden, in a pre-dawn statement, called the agreement "an important win for our economy." A strike could have driven up prices at a time when inflation is showing signs of remaining stubbornly high.

  • "These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned," Biden said.
  • "The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come."
State of play: Freight rail companies and union officials met with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in Washington on Wednesday and early into Thursday morning in an attempt to reach an agreement.

  • The negotiations, which Walsh said lasted more than 20 consecutive hours, had been approaching a Friday deadline to avoid a strike.
  • Fearing a strike, Amtrak had shut down long-distance service everywhere outside the Northeast corridor. The rail service uses freight tracks on many of its routes.
What they're saying: "The Biden Administration applauds all parties for reaching this hard-fought, mutually beneficial deal," Walsh said in a tweet.

  • "Our rail system is integral to our supply chain, and a disruption would have had catastrophic impacts on industries, travelers and families across the country."
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.






White House says tentative deal reached to avoid rail strike (axios.com)
Click to expand...
The White House lately has been hitting all the right buttons so let’s keep this moving.
 
BrownTurd said:
There is a bitch made faggot in this thread. A donkey looking Cracka
Click to expand...
I spy a dirty Messycan in this thread.... take your musty, pissy, sack sweat and Tequila smelling lil ass back to the Tyler Perry thread.... faggot
sidebar: you should be happy as fuck.... nearly half of what you pick is shipped by freight train

:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Last edited:
Second railroad union votes down deal needed to avert nationwide strike
PUBLISHED WED, OCT 26 20228:50 PM EDTUPDATED WED, OCT 26 20229:03 PM EDT

KEY POINTS
  • The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen voted down a national tentative agreement coordinated between unions, freight rail companies and the Biden administration.
  • More than 60% of union member ballots voted not to ratify, making BRS the second rail union to reject the terms of the deal, and with the highest participation in a vote in the union’s history.
  • A rail strike that could cripple the U.S. supply chain and economy could occur as early as November 19.
107132154-16654335172022-09-16t055003z_1841215664_rc2whw9zyg42_rtrmadp_0_usa-railway-labor.jpeg

A GE AC4400CW diesel-electric locomotive in Union Pacific livery, is seen ahead of a possible strike if there is no deal with the rail worker unions, as a Metrolink commuter train (right) arrives at Union Station in Los Angeles, California, September 15, 2022.

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen is the second union to vote down the tentative agreement between rail unions, freight rail companies and the Biden administration that was reached on September 15 and critical to avoiding a nationwide rail strike.

The BRS, which represents over 10,000 rail workers and is one of the last three unions at the bargaining table, overwhelmingly rejected the deal, with 39.23% of members approving and 60.57% voting not to approve.


“For the first time that I can remember, the BRS members voted not to ratify a National Agreement, and with the highest participation rate in BRS history,” said BRS president Michael Baldwin in a statement. “I have expressed my disappointment throughout the process in the lack of good-faith bargaining on the part of the NCCC [National Carriers Conference Committee], as well as the part PEB [Presidential Advisory Board] 250 played in denying BRS members the basic right of paid time off for illness. The NCCC and PEB also both failed to recognize the safety-sensitive and highly stressful job BRS members perform each day to keep the railroad running and supply chain flowing.”

The rejection of the National Tentative Agreement begins a “status quo” period during which the union will reengage with the NCCC until December 4.

A spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads tells CNBC, “Parties have agreed to maintain the status quo so discussions about next steps can progress.”

The AAR spokesperson cited the fact that half of all rail unions have ratified agreements based upon President Biden’s PEB recommendations, which includes the largest wage increases in nearly five decades and would lead to immediate payouts averaging more than $11,000 per railroader ahead of the holidays.

“Once in place, contracts crafted in partnership with the most labor friendly administration ever will allow railroads and railroaders to thrive into the future and deliver for both our customers and our families,” the railroad spokesperson said.

The railroads have estimated that a rail strike could cost the economy $2 billion per day.

The BRS vote against ratification follows the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED) which voted not to ratify the tentative deal on October 10. Logistics managers have told CNBC they have been planning again for a possible strike after the September deal seemed to reduce the threat.

In a letter released to members on Wednesday, BMWED president Tony Cardwell said, “Before I talk about the details surrounding the bargaining process, I need to confront some fringe groups proposing dangerous ideas of unsanctioned work stoppages. It is true that this round of National Bargaining has brought different perspectives, complicated conversations, and hard choices. A difference of views from a range of members is a good thing even if it gets a little messy. However, we are not presented with a situation so dire that we cannot use our collective strength to obtain a satisfactory agreement without breaking the law.”

Cardwell said on November 1-2 the union will hold a series of video meetings for members.

The earliest the BMWED union can strike is November 19.

Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz told CNBC during an interview on “Squawk on the Street” last Thursday of the BMWED, “We’ve got some negotiating to do with that union and we’ve agreed to status quo, we’re in status quo while we’re doing that. I am confident we will find a way to craft an agreement that can be taken back out for ratification. That doesn’t mean a strike is not possible, it just means in my opinion I don’t think it’s probable. We’ve got plenty of runway to figure it out.”

Union Pacific, Berkshire Hathaway’s BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and the U.S. railroads owned by Canadian National are among the Class I freight railroads represented by the NCCC.

Union spokespeople have stressed that railroads are underestimating union member resistance over issues related to quality of life and benefits including paid time off that they do not think the current tentative agreement satisfactorily covers.

“The railroads consistently underestimate the frustration and anger of the workers. Workers can’t take it anymore,” Richard Edelman, counsel for BMWED and chief spokesperson in the collective bargaining, told CNBC last week. “The Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) ruling is just a recommendation. It is not a lid. Carriers have made the determination of not doing more than the net equivalent of the PEB.”

Caldwell added in his letter to members, “BMWED leadership has gone on a campaign of informing the public and lawmakers of the railroad companies’ unwillingness to provide basic sick days while Carrier Executives bow to Wall Street’s continued desire for more than its fair share. As long as they take that stance, all we can do is encourage solidarity and prepare to exercise self-help.”

The BMWED is the third-largest union with 23,900 members. All 12 unions that represent a total of 115,000 workers must ratify their contracts to prevent a strike.

Under the Railway Labor Act, Congress has the ability to impose the resolution from Biden’s Presidential Emergency Board, or order the trains to operate as usual with an extension of negotiations.



Second railroad union votes down deal needed to avert strike (cnbc.com)
 
Largest U.S. rail labor union votes against contract, raising strike risk

POF4FHTMDFNBRCYOHOG2FMODXA.jpg

An aerial view of gantry cranes, shipping containers, and freight railway trains ahead of a possible strike if there is no deal with the rail worker unions, at the Union Pacific Los Angeles (UPLA) Intermodal Facility rail yard in Commerce, California, U.S., September 15, 2022.

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Workers at the largest U.S. rail union voted against a tentative contract deal reached in September, raising the possibility of a year-end strike that could cause significant damage to the U.S. economy and strand vital shipments of food and fuel.

Train and engine service members of the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) narrowly voted to reject the deal. That unit, which includes conductors, brakemen and other workers, joins three other unions in rejecting a deal brokered via a board appointed by U.S. President Joe Biden.

"There's a lot of anger about paid sick leave among the membership" who kept goods flowing during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Seth Harris, a professor at Northeastern University.

Railroads, which have slashed labor and other costs to bolster profits, are fiercely opposed to adding more sick time flexibility that would require them to add additional staff. Those operators, which include Union Pacific (UNP.N), Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) BNSF and CSX (CSX.O), say the contract deal has the most generous wage package in almost 50 years of national rail negotiations.

"Both sides have reason to compromise here. The union needs to get this done in advance of the new Congress as their involvement will unlikely result in 'better' for them," said Reliant Labor Consultants principal Joe Brock, a former Teamsters local president.

Republicans, who historically favor corporate interests over unions, earlier this month won control of the U.S. House starting in January.

"I see a minimal improvement in sick pay, and huge pressure from the (Biden) administration to accept a deal," Brock said.

Major industry groups complain that rail industry cost cuts have hurt service and have been calling on President Biden and Congress to intervene to prevent a strike ahead of the holiday season.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last month "any shutdown would be completely unacceptable. It is the responsibility of the parties involved to resolve this issue." The White House did not immediately comment on Monday.

CAN BE SETTLED 'WITHOUT A STRIKE'
A rail shutdown could freeze almost 30% of U.S. cargo shipments by weight, stoke inflation and cost the American economy as much as $2 billion per day by unleashing a cascade of transport woes affecting U.S. energy, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and retail sectors.

Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Congress should step in to prevent any disruption, warning it would be catastrophic for the economy. Automaker General Motors (GM.N) has said a halt would force it to stop production of some trucks within about a day.

"The ball is now in the railroads' court. Let's see what they do. They can settle this at the bargaining table," said SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson in a statement. "This can all be settled through negotiations and without a strike."

The National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC), which represents the nation's freight railroads in talks, said the "continued, near-term threat" of a strike "will require that freight railroads and passenger carriers soon begin to take responsible steps to safely secure the network in advance of any deadline."

The railroads showed no sign of being willing to reopen talks and said "Congress may need to intervene – just as it has in the past – to prevent disruption of the national rail system."

The standoff between U.S. railroad operators and their union workers in September disrupted flows of hazardous materials such as chemicals used in fertilizer and disrupted U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak service as railroads prepared for a possible work stoppage.

Unions, including a separately contracted unit covering more than 1,000 SMART-TD yardmasters, have ratified nine of 13 agreements covering about half of the 115,000 workers affected by the talks.

The deal includes a 24% compounded wage increase over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024 and five annual $1,000 lump sum payments.

Three other unions that rejected the deal have already agreed to extend a strike deadline until early December.

Labor unions have criticized the railroads’ sick leave and attendance policies and the lack of paid sick days for short-term illness.

Beginning on Dec. 9, SMART-TD would be allowed to go on strike or the rail carriers would be permitted to lock out workers, unless Congress intervenes.

If there is a strike by any of the unions that voted against the deal, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and other rail unions that have ratified agreements have pledged to honor picket lines.

CONTINUED:
Largest U.S. rail labor union votes against contract, raising strike risk | Reuters
 
Biden asks Congress to avert rail strike, warning of dire economic impact

WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday called on Congress to intervene to avert a potential rail strike that could occur as early as Dec. 9, warning of a catastrophic economic impact if railroad service ground to a halt.

Biden asked lawmakers to adopt the tentative deal announced in September "without any modifications or delay - to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown" and added that up to 765,000 Americans "could be put out of work in the first two weeks alone."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers would take up legislation this week "to prevent a catastrophic nationwide rail strike, which would grind our economy to a halt."

On Monday, more than 400 groups called on Congress to intervene in the railroad labor standoff that threatens to idle shipments of food and fuel and strand travelers while inflicting billions of dollars of economic damage.

A rail traffic stoppage could freeze almost 30% of U.S. cargo shipments by weight, stoke inflation and cost the American economy as much as $2 billion per day by unleashing a cascade of transport woes affecting U.S. energy, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and retail sectors.

"A rail shutdown would devastate our economy," Biden said. "Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down ... Communities could lose access to chemicals necessary to ensure clean drinking water. Farms and ranches across the country could be unable to feed their livestock."

Biden hailed the contract deal that includes a 24% compounded wage increase over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024 and five annual $1,000 lump-sum payments.

Workers in four unions have rejected the tentative deal, while workers in eight unions have approved it.

U.S. President Joe Biden approaches reporters to answer a question about the crisis in Ukraine and the missile that crashed in Poland as he arrives back at the White House from travel to the G20 and ASEAN summits, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S. November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Jim Bourg
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have been involved in discussions with the rail industry, unions and agriculture industry stakeholders.

Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, praised Biden's call to Congress to act and said no one side was fully happy with the compromise contract deal "but the responsible thing to do is avoid the strike."

The Association of American Railroads said "congressional action to prevent a work stoppage in this manner is appropriate ... No one benefits from a rail work stoppage – not our customers, not rail employees and not the American economy."

In a letter on Monday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, American Petroleum Institute, National Restaurant Association, American Trucking Associations and other groups warned that impacts of a potential strike could be felt as soon as Dec. 5.

Biden said Congress "should set aside politics and partisan division and deliver for the American people. Congress should get this bill to my desk well in advance of December 9th so we can avoid disruption."

"The risks to our nation’s economy and communities simply make a national rail strike unacceptable," says the letter to congressional leaders first reported by Reuters, warning a strike could halt passenger railroad Amtrak and commuter rail services that "would disrupt up to 7 million travelers a day."

Biden's Presidential Emergency Board in August released the framework for the tentative deal forged in September between major railroads and a dozen unions representing 115,000 workers. Those carriers include Union Pacific (UNP.N), Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and Kansas City Southern.

Unions and railroads have until Dec. 9 to resolve differences. If they do not, workers could strike or railroads could lock out employees - unless Congress intervenes. But railroads would halt hazardous materials shipments at least four days ahead of a strike deadline.


Biden asks Congress to avert rail strike, warning of dire economic impact | Reuters
 
US rail strike 2022: What would be affected if it happens?

President Joe Biden has said the government must step in to prevent a possible strike by railroad workers in the US.

By Natalie Sherman
Business reporter, New York
4 hours ago

www.bbc.com

US rail strike 2022: What would be affected if it happens? - BBC News

President Biden has urged Congress to take steps to avert a strike as it would devastate the economy.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com

The labour stoppage, which could happen as soon as 9 December, would be the first in the US in decades and analysts say it would cripple the US economy if it proved long lasting.

What would be affected by a rail strike?

The workers who would go on strike work for freight rail companies, such as Berkshire Hathaway's BNSF and Union Pacific.

They carry about 40% of the country's freight each year - vital goods including shipments of grain and other crops; chemicals such as fertiliser; three-quarters of new cars; roughly 70% of the country's coal and 30% of packaged food; as well as thousands of other products destined for store shelves.

If workers walk out, that would knock roughly 7,000 freight trains per day out of service, wreaking havoc on supply chains across the country - driving up prices and causing a political mess just before Christmas.

For months, business groups have been calling on the government to prevent a strike, warning of economic calamity.

The Association of American Railroads, which represents the industry, estimates that the country would need more than 460,000 trucks per day to handle the goods affected - a logistical impossibility.

It says the impact would amount to $2bn (£1.66bn) in lost output a day, as ports and other transport options feel the knock-on effects.

In a report this fall, Goldman Sachs analysts said a strike of a few days would affect only about 3% of overall economic activity and have limited wider economic impact. But if it were prolonged, they warned it "would have a substantially greater economic effect", as companies are forced to slow production to deal with missing supplies or at-capacity storage.

Why is this happening?

Many railroad workers are unhappy about attendance policies that have been introduced in recent years, which they say make it difficult to take unplanned time off for issues like illness.

The 12 unions and major rail companies spent more than two years trying to negotiate a new contract before turning to the government earlier this year to try to broker a compromise deal for the more than 100,000 workers involved.

US President Joe Biden announced a deal in September, guaranteeing an additional day of personal leave and 24% pay rise over the years of the contract, which covers 2020 to 2024, among other benefits.

Members of eight unions voted to ratify the deal. But in recent weeks, workers at four of some of the biggest labour groups have rejected it, saying the agreement did not address their fundamental concerns about issues like paid sick leave.

The unions have said they would all walk off the job together, in the event of a strike.

Would a rail strike affect Amtrak?

Amtrak and many local commuter rail routes run at least partially on tracks maintained by the railroads, so although the walkout threatens freight companies, it would have wider impact.

In September the threat of a work stoppage prompted Amtrak to cancel long distance routes.

Amtrak boss Stephen Gardner said Tuesday that a "shutdown would affect Amtrak's service across the nation" and urged Congress to act "well before" the 9 December deadline to minimise the impact.

Is a strike likely?

Congress, which has authority over inter-state commerce, has intervened in railroad labour negotiations 18 times since 1926, when the US passed a law regulating rail labour bargaining, according to the US Chamber of Commerce,

The last rail strike in the US, in 1992, lasted less than four days before the government put a stop to it.
Most people are expecting a strike to be avoided again this time.

This week, President Biden asked Congress to use its power to force unions to accept the deal announced in September, saying the two sides appeared unable to reach an agreement. He warned that a rail shutdown would devastate the economy.

"As a proud pro-labour President, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement," he said. "But in this case - where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families - I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal."

The top Democrat in the House, Nancy Pelosi, has promised to deliver legislation by Friday, which would move the issue to the Senate, where Democrats have an even narrower majority.

gettyimages-1423407259-f71acd5e6a3ed44c16c079d4544664d6f53f8787-s1100-c50.jpg

​
 

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