Unions and railroads have until Dec. 9 to avoid a strike after some labor groups voted down a White House-brokered agreement. A negotiated agreement now...
to avoid a strike after some labor groups voted down a White House-brokered agreement. A negotiated agreement now appears unlikely. Congress can intervene to stop a strike under federal law.The White House declined to comment on the president’s plans. But it signaled it won’t let a shutdown of freight rail lines cripple the economy, with a spokeswoman noting that Congress has repeatedly intervened in the past to prevent work stoppages.
All 12 unions need to vote individually to ratify their contracts. If one union moves to strike, all of the unions – which represent more than 115,000 rail workers – would probably move in solidarity, triggering an industry-wide work stoppage. Congress could also extend a cooling-off period, allowing parties to continue negotiating until they reach an agreement, or force both sides to enter arbitration, where a third-party mediator gets involved.
Tony Caldwell, president of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, one of the unions that voted down the agreement, said his members will not ratify a deal unless it includes more expansive sick leave benefits. The union is asking for four paid sick days. But in the latest negotiations last week, the rail carriers “stated that they were unwilling to negotiate over” sick days, Caldwell said.
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