Update 9.15.2022: U.S. rail strike averted, but labor deal faces tough union votes
North American Class 1 railroads have reached an agreement with 10 of 12 unions representing train crews. However, the two remaining unions represent more than 90,000 workers and it is widely anticipated that they will be unable to reach an agreement by the end of a mandatory 30-day cooling off period which expires Friday. When that happens, the unions have voted to authorize a strike beginning at 12:01 AM ET on Friday, September 16th.
In anticipation of this potential action, many airlines have begun an orderly winding down of operations and have announced they are refusing, or embargoing, certain types of cargo. The BNSF Railway, a major east-west transcontinental operator, published a notice that they are not accepting, or ingating, temperature-controlled units. For shippers of fresh or frozen perishables, this means contingency planning to use either over-the-road or air to get goods to their destination.
The president and Congress are both watching the situation closely and it is widely anticipated that if the deadline passes, Congress will pass legislation ordering them back to work and to continue negotiating, lest the economy take an estimated $2 billion/day hit. CFI continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they are warranted.
Click the link below to read the BNSF notice about temperature-controlled units and if you have any questions about alternative means of transportation, contact your CFI representative today.
