US businesses are increasingly worried about the renewed threat of a railroad strike after two unions, looking to the Biden administration and Congress to intervene. A coalition of 322 business groups from a variety of industries signed off on a letter to president Biden last Thursday, urging him to make sure the deals he helped broker last month get approved because a railroad strike would have dire consequences for the economy. All 12 rail unions must approve their agreements to prevent a strike next month.
The railroads have offered 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal, which would be the biggest increases in more than four decades, but the negotiations hinge on quality-of-life concerns. The unions that represent the conductors and engineers who drive the trains want the railroads to ease the punishing schedules that they say keep them on call 24-7, and the other unions want the railroads to add paid sick time.
Source: apnews.com