Rail Strike Possibility Threatens Supply Chain Again
(NewsReady.com) – Railroad workers have been fighting to get more favorable working conditions. In September, a strike was averted after unions reached a tentative agreement with rail lines. Now, the threat of another strike is looming.
Remember when the country nearly had a nationwide rail strike earlier this fall?
If all 12 rail worker unions don’t ratify the contract deal brokered by the Biden administration, we could potentially see a repeat of that scenario. https://t.co/scIMD5EM2n
— NPR (@NPR) November 18, 2022
The deadline for rail workers to sign the new contract has come and gone. Three unions have voted down the previous agreement President Joe Biden’s administration brokered earlier this fall. Although the POTUS celebrated the talks in September as a win, workers were reportedly disappointed. The brokered deal would have given them a 24% raise over the course of five years, changes to the attendance policies to allow them more leeway during a personal emergency, and one more day of personal time off.
Many rail workers were not happy with the agreement. They argue the raises barely keep up with inflation, which has soared in 2022. Also, they want seven days of paid sick leave written into the new contract.
In order to move forward, all 12 unions must agree to the contract. As mentioned, at least three have voted it down. Only seven of the unions have voted to ratify the agreement.
If they fail to come to an agreement, rail workers could go on strike around Christmas. That would cause a severe disruption in the supply chain and could have widespread economic impacts.
Copyright 2022, NewsReady.com
