Posts tagged Presidential Emergency Board
RAIL WORKERS OUST UNION PRESIDENT WHO BACKED LABOR DEAL
December 20, 2022 // As members grew frustrated with the stalled negotiations process, Hall’s District 28 held a meeting where they voted to send a letter to Dennis Pierce “asking him to come down and, for lack of a better word, explain himself.” Pierce headed to Tucson in February of this year, and members weren’t satisfied with his responses. That’s when the district nominated Eddie Hall to run for BLET president.
Largest U.S. rail labor union votes against contract, raising strike possibility
November 21, 2022 // Workers at the largest U.S. rail union voted against a tentative contract deal reached in September raising the possibility of a strike in the coming weeks that could cause significant damage to the U.S. economy. Train and engine service members of the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) narrowly voted to reject the deal, while members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) voted to ratify the agreement and SMART-TD yardmasters voted to ratify their national agreement, the unions said Monday.
Rail strike threat escalates as third union rejects deal
November 15, 2022 // The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) announced Monday its members voted against ratifying a tentative agreement with the major freight railroads, making IBB the third labor group to turn down the deal brokered by the Biden administration and upping the chances of a nationwide strike.
Shippers want rail service reform even if unions ratify contracts
October 6, 2022 // Both BLET and SMART-TD said last Thursday that they finally reached a tentative agreement with the railroads, and that agreement will be sent to union members in the coming weeks for approval. The Association of American Railroads estimated that a strike would have cost the U.S. economy as much as $2 billion a day. Shippers lobbied Congress to ensure that the tentative labor deals were reached to prevent a strike.
BACKGROUNDER: Potential Railroad Strike
September 14, 2022 // On Friday, September 16, 2022, railroad workers could go on strike. This would effectively shut down the nation’s freight rail system and have spillover effects on commuter rail like Amtrak, which is already canceling long-distance routes. If a strike or lockout occurs, Congress has the ability to intervene and has done so in the past. An economic analysis by the American Association of Railroads using the Federal Railroad Administration’s model found a railroad shutdown could cost our economy $2 billion per day. Similarly, a coalition of agricultural organizations said in a letter to Congress, “Uninterrupted rail service is vital to the American agricultural economy.”
Why Railway Unions Oppose the Deal Biden Helped Arrange
September 14, 2022 // The eventual proposal the PEB came up with seems on its surface pretty good for the workers: a 24 percent wage increase through 2024, with another 14 percent wage increase effective immediately. That would put the average pay for a rail worker at $110,000 per year by the end of the agreement, not counting benefits. About 10 of the 15 unions have taken the deal, but two of the large ones Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation and the Teamsters Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have balked. They represent an estimated 66,000 workers and are demanding better sick leave and attendance policies.
U.S. freight railroads prepare for potential strike disruption
September 13, 2022 // A railroad work stoppage would cost the U.S. economy $2 billion per day in output and require 467,000 long-haul trucks daily to handle shipments diverted from rail - exceeding supply, the railroad association said. Chris Spear
Biden administration jumps into rail, union talks hoping to avert strike
September 8, 2022 // Such a work stoppage runs the risk of stymieing the U.S.’ supply chain at a point when the system is already strained, prices are historically high, and the peak season for agricultural commodities is just around the corner. Thirteen unions representing U.S. railroad workers have spent years renegotiating their contracts with carriers represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee. SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson, BLET President Dennis Pierce,
Railroads back plan calling for 24 percent raises but workers wary
August 22, 2022 // Both sides have 30 days to negotiate a new contract before federal law would allow a strike or lockout, but even if they can’t reach an agreement Congress is likely to intervene to prevent a strike that would disrupt the flow of goods across all sectors of the economy. The unions were still reviewing the 124-page report Wednesday — one day after it was issued — and didn’t immediately comment on the details. But individual railroad workers commenting about the report on Twitter said it didn’t do enough to address their concerns about restrictive attendance policies that make it hard to take days off and demanding working conditions after thousands of jobs have been cut in recent years.
The U.S. is Now 30 Days Away From a Possible Railroad Labor Strike
August 19, 2022 // Delays on U.S. railroads have been a growing problem for shipping agricultural goods all year. Labor discussions are ongoing and with the grain industry concerned about a possible labor stoppage in mid-September, which would be the height of Midwest harvest. Just this week, the White House-appointed Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) released a recommendation as part of the ongoing collective bargaining process. Both sides have 30 days to accept those recommendations. If the two parties don't agree, then rail workers are allowed to go on strike as of Sept. 16. Max Fisher, Chief Economist,