COMP NEWS – Four freight rail unions just barely voted against a new five-year contract agreement, setting the stage for a potential labor strike among railway workers.
On the eve of the holiday season, workers at the heart of the supply chain are once again threatening to strike.
Four freight rail unions, with a combined membership of close to 60,000 rail workers, have voted down the five-year contract agreement brokered by the Biden administration back in September. The latest rejection came Monday from the largest of the unions, representing some 28,000 conductors, brakemen, and yardmen.
Eight other unions have ratified the deal, but they too could be pulled back into this labor dispute. That’s because if one union decides to strike, all of the unions, representing about 115,000 freight rail workers, will honor the picket lines.
If no agreement is reached by November 8th, workers may go on strike.
SMART Transportation Division and three other unions who previously rejected the contract deal now return to the bargaining table. If no agreement is reached by December 8, two things could happen as early as 12:01 a.m. on December 9: The railroads could lock workers out, or workers could go on strike.
The Association of American Railroads says the rail companies stand ready to reach new deals based on the original framework presented by President Biden’s emergency board, but warned that the window for coming up with an agreement was narrowing.
The agreement that was voted down gave workers substantial raises, but even those only put them slightly ahead of inflation. The killing blow to ratification came in the absence of paid sick days, which workers have been fighting ardently for.
The unions acknowledge that the agreement sent to the rank-and-file to vote on fell short of what they’d hoped for. While the deal did include substantial raises that puts workers slightly ahead of inflation, it did not deliver any paid sick days, a major disappointment to workers after carrying the railroads through the pandemic.
The unions were able to secure some protections for workers from the strict attendance policies employed by a couple of the railroads. Under the deal, workers can miss work to attend to medical issues without being assessed disciplinary points, but there are limitations and the time off is unpaid.
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