SMART Transportation Division, a major union representing about 28,000 rail conductors, turned down on Monday a collective bargaining agreement that the Biden administration arranged in September, with 51 percent rejecting it. All 12 freight rail unions must agree to ratify the five-year deal set up by the White House, but four have already rejected it, according to USA Today. The rail conductors’ union, along with the other three smaller unions, are at odds with seven freight rail unions and another major union representing about 57,000 rail engineers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, who approved of the deal. But with the Dec. 8 agreement deadline encroaching, a freight rail strike that seemed to be prevented two months ago now appears more likely, according to USA Today. The strike, which could start on Dec. 9, may cut off certain goods and food shipments like grain, and disrupt transportation like Amtrak, before the holidays and impact the economy, USA Today reported. If a deal isn’t agreed upon, Congress could step in.
