National Railway Labor Conference

Rail shutdown looms large even as Congress steps in

Railroad worker

A joint resolution by U.S. lawmakers aimed at ending the threat of a strike or lockout provides little incentive for avoiding a debilitating shutdown of the nation’s railroads, according to a former rail industry legal consultant.

Introduced in the Senate on Monday by Roger Wicker, R.-Miss., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., the legislation would adopt the recommendations issued in August by the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) that were meant to be used as the foundation for a new contract. Such...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-shutdown-looms-large-even-as-congress-steps-in

Labor, railroads tussle over contract negotiation ‘dead end,’ seek mediation

Ten rail unions have declared an impasse with U.S. freight railroads over bargaining for a new labor agreement and have asked the National Mediation Board (NMB) for a federal mediator to assist with negotiations — a move the railroads support.

The Coordinated Bargaining Coalition (CBC), which consists of the unions, said discussions stalled after more than two years of bargaining. Because of the stalemate, the coalition is seeking a mediator, per the Railway Labor Act.

The unions said the National...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/labor-railroads-tussle-over-contract-negotiation-dead-end-seek-mediation

Rail Roundup: Train crews, shippers’ views, shareholders choose

A photograph of a rail yard with a city in the distance.Union must include crew size in negotiations

An arbitrator has determined that the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Union-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) must resume negotiations over train crew size and staffing, according to the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC), a group that represents the freight railroads.

The arbitrator determined that standard moratorium language in decades-old labor agreements does not bar negotiations over crew size on...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-roundup-train-crews-shippers-views-shareholders-choose

Labor unions press Class I railroads on healthcare benefits

A photograph of a freight train travelling in front of tall city buildings.

Twelve rail unions have banded together to sue the Class I railroads over proposed healthcare benefit-related provisions, saying that the railroads have refused to address the provisions during the collective bargaining process that began on November 1, 2019.

The unions say they want the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads to address proposed restrictions to accessing certain medications and proposed reconfigurations of healthcare networks during the collective bargaining process and not...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/labor-unions-press-class-i-railroads-on-healthcare-benefits