The US railroad strike was a false alarm! The crisis is temporarily resolved

It is learned that on the morning of September 15th local time, Amtrak and three unions representing tens of thousands of workers reached a temporary agreement that will be submitted to union members for a vote, during which they will not strike. This avoided the largest strike action by rail workers in the United States.

The agreement includes a 24% wage increase over the five-year period from 2020 to 2024, with a 14.1% increase effective immediately, according to the National Conference of Carriers, which represents railroads in negotiations. Union members will also receive five one-time payments of $1,000 a year, and the wage terms are in line with the recommendations of the President's Commission on Labor Disputes.

The agreement also temporarily freezes monthly health care contributions and includes provisions that allow workers to take sick leave without being penalized by attendance policies, according to a joint statement from the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transport Workers-Transport Division (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET).

The rail operator has reached a series of deals with several unions in the past few weeks, but negotiations with several large unions have stalled ahead of a September 16 deadline.

Finally, under the leadership of U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, railroad employers and three unions that had failed to reach an agreement reached an agreement after 20 hours of negotiations.

"With this agreement, the railroads will be able to retain and recruit workers, and they will be able to continue to operate efficiently as an important part of our economy," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a live address Thursday.

This is good news for logistics companies and sellers who are about to usher in the peak season. If a strike occurs, the closure of the national railway system will have a catastrophic impact.

Editor✎ Ashley/

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