Fears Grow of Holiday Rail Strike as Unions Negotiate Bargaining Agreement
President of largest rail union predicts congressional intervention after ‘no’ vote
The president of the largest freight rail union is skeptical he’ll be able to reach a new agreement with carriers in time to prevent an economically devastating strike — and predicts Congress will likely soon step in.
“I’m hopeful, but I doubt it’s really in the cards,” SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson said in an interview Monday night. “I’ve got a lot of issues that are outstanding; that are reasons why our guys voted it down.”
Biggest US rail union rejects labor deal, sparking holiday strike concerns
Members of the largest US rail workers union rejected a proposed deal on Monday – a move that sparked concerns of a potential strike just ahead of the busy holiday season.
Train conductors represented by the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division, or SMART-TD, narrowly rejected the proposed deal. The vote drew record turnout among the union’s membership of more than 28,000 conductors and other workers.
Biggest U.S. rail union digs in on paid sick time, raising threat of strike
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.