Let's Make a Deal Freight Rail Companies!

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Early on the morning of Thursday, September 15, 2022, freight rail companies and unions reached a tentative agreement to avoid a strike that could have begun on Friday, September 16, 2022. The agreement now heads to union members for a ratification vote, a process that could take a few weeks. Workers have agreed not to strike while the vote is tallied.

The deal ended an impasse between the rail industry and tens of thousands of workers across the country, averting a shutdown of a critical network that could have made it virtually impossible to transport the vast numbers of products — from oil to grain — that are carried on trains in the United States.

As The New York Times article says, "rail freight is the centerpiece of the global supply chain, which has already been disrupted by the pandemic, with cargo ships, trains and trucks facing continued difficulties transporting goods. A strike would slow down the circulation of goods within the United States and with overseas trade allies."