The first freight railroad strike in three decades has been averted under a tentative deal reached overnight between Class I railroads and three labor unions, the White House announced early Thursday morning.
The Class I railroads reached tentative agreements with unions representing engineers, conductors, and signalmen after 20 hours of negotiations at the Department of Labor. The nine other unions involved in negotiations had previously reached tentative agreements with the railroads; one, the The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19, had voted down its tentative deal, but said it would hold off on a strike until other unions had a chance to reach agreements [see “Machinists reject tentative contract …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 14].
The deal includes an extended cooling-off period that puts off the prospect of a strike that could have begun as early as 12:01 a.m. on Friday. A strike would have crippled the U.S. freight railroad network and shut down Amtrak operations outside of the Northeast Corridor, as well as suspended commuter operations in several cities.
The Association of American Railroads says the contract will provide engineers, conductors, and signal workers with a 24% wage increase during the five-year period from 2020 through 2024, including an immediate payout on average of $11,000 upon ratification. The contract follows the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board that was convened after railroads and labor were unable to reach a negotiated settlement.
Key phrasing is they reached a tentative deal, announced by WH.
How about that? A crisis averted before a fraudulent election.
It’ll be a different story if there are permanent contract agreements or a crippling strike after the fraudulent elections.
The manipulations are obvious.
Dana