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The
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the
transportation division of the International Association of
Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) --
representing about half of all unionized rail employees are set
to report results. Seven of the 12 unions involved in the talks
have approved the deal, while three have voted against it but
agreed to extend a strike deadline until at least Dec. 4.
The standoff between U.S. railroad operators and their union
workers disrupted flows of hazardous materials such as chemicals
used in fertilizer and disrupted U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak
service in September.
The Biden administration helped avert a service cutoff by
hosting last-minute contract talks in September at the Labor
Department that led to a tentative contract deal.
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."
Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Congress should
step in to prevent a potential rail disruption, warning it would
be catastrophic for the economy. Automaker General Motors has
said a halt would force it to stop production of some trucks
within about a day.
A rail shutdown could freeze almost 30% of U.S. cargo shipments
by weight, stoke inflation, cost the American economy as much as
$2 billion per day and unleash a cascade of transport woes
affecting U.S. energy, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare
and retail sectors.
The deal included a 24% compounded wage increase over a
five-year period from 2020 through 2024 and five annual $1,000
lump sum payments.
The unions represent 115,000 workers at railroads, including
Union Pacific , Berkshire Hathaway Inc's BNSF, CSX, Norfolk
Southern and Kansas City Southern.
Labor unions have criticized the railroads’ sick leave and
attendance policies and the lack of paid sick days for
short-term illness.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which
represents the nation’s freight railroads in talks, says the
deal has the most "generous wage package in almost 50 years of
national rail negotiations."
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Lisa Baertlein
in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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