October 12, 2022 |
A nationwide railroad strike is again looming on the horizon. Almost a month to the day after President Biden announced he had brokered a deal between companies and union bosses, workers appear to be rejecting the agreement.
A dozen unions have been at the table during the last year of negotiations. Only one had to reject the agreement. On Monday, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the Teamsters, the nation’s third largest railroad union, rejected the deal. The rubbing point is what it always has been—the number of allowed paid sick days.
The teamsters rejected the proposed five-year contract by a 56 to 43 percent margin. Both sides have agreed to continue with talks until at least November 19.
“Railroaders do not feel valued,” BMWED President Tony Cardwell said in a statement, adding that workers feel “discouraged and upset.”
The White House became personally involved in the talks last month. President Biden, whose retail political career was built on selling himself as part of the working class as he now portrays himself as part of part of black and Puerto Rican ethnicities, hailed the last-minute deal as a win for companies and workers.
Union workers reportedly have been skeptical since the deal was announced. The last month has involved divining the details of the contract.
The voting is not done. The two largest rail unions still need to cast their votes.
A railroad strike is not imminent yet, but the stakes are high for shipping and commuter operations across the country. A strike could spawn layoffs and further impair the already struggling supply chain.
