WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden called railroad and union leaders on Monday in a direct effort to avoid a potential railroad work stoppage, according to multiple media reports.
The Washington Post reports Biden’s calls followed emergency meetings last week at the White House led by the National Economic Council, and that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is also trying to end an impasse between railroads and their two operating unions. Politico reports Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has also been involved.
A 30-day cooling off period for negotiations ends at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, at which time unions without agreements can strike or be locked out by the railroads. Railroads have begun turning away shipments in preparation for a possible work stoppage, and a Federal Railroad Administration representative told the post the FRA “is initiating oversight and enforcement efforts to ensure safety during any potential interruption of rail operations.”
Eight unions have announced tentative deals — and BNSF Railway said in a message to customers on Monday that a ninth has been reached, although it has yet to be announced. Those agreements, which have yet to be ratified, are based on the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board that called for a 24% compounded raise over the five-year life of the agreement, retroactive to 2020.
But the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) is seeking changes to work rules and working conditions, saying their unions have borne the brunt of reductions in the workforce and operating changes under the railroads’ Precision Scheduled Railroading operating model. In its most recent statement, the railroads’ bargaining group, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, characterized these demands as “positions that were expressly rejected by the PEB” [see “Three more unions reach tentative agreements …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 11, 2022].
Strike averted.
In these telephone conversations, I hope that the reasons for holding back on ratifying the PEB recommendations is made clear. There are many. But in basic terms, the carriers have lowballed their position to purposely force an unsatisfactory PEB recommendation which will likely be imposed by congress if the parties cannot come to a resolution.
THE PROPER METHOD FOR TWO CREW MEMBERS OF A TRAIN IN A SIDING, WHEN BOTH ARE SAFELY ABLE TO LEAVE THE ENGINE, IS TO STATION THEMSELVES ON EACH SIDE OF THE APPROACHING MAIN LINE TRAIN TO INSPECT BOTH SIDES OF IT, NOT STANDING TOGETHER “JAWBONING.” WALTER FRITZ, OBER, INDIANA 574-772-4766
You are correct. But CSX rules emphasized “when practicable”. Therefore, if positioning a crewman on the other side of the oncoming train could cause delay, the crewman must remain on the same side as his own train. Delay could occur if the oncoming train stopped in the clear of the turnout but not clear the head end of the standing train.
Trump was a failure for 4 straight years spent his days sitting eating McDonalds & watching TV to see what people were saying about him. A genuine sociopathic grifter!
Mr. Lampman , No your thinking of when Trump was the President!
Trump couldn’ screw up in a lifetime what Biden screws up by 8:00 in the morning each day.
Be prepared for him to screw it up….
WOW the westbound crew must have been there a while if they got off their unit to stretch their legs. I haven’t seen a crew do this in a number of years. Was this a three man crew or are they doing just a half train inspection ?
o sleepy joe