One of the largest railroad unions voted to reject a contract brokered by the White House by a margin of 50.9 percent, again raising the possibility of a rail strike that could paralyze much of the economy.
SMART Transportation Division, the largest freight rail union representing 28,000 conductors and other trainmen, voted the deal down by a margin of only 50.9 percent, the union said.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which represents engineers, announced on Monday that 53.5 percent of members voted to ratify the deal, according to the Washington Post. These unions represent 57,000 workers and are the largest and most politically powerful of the 12 rail unions in contract discussions.
Of those 12 unions, eight have voted to approve their contracts. The SMART union, along with three smaller unions, one representing track maintenance workers, another whose members maintain and operate the signal system, and a third that represents locomotive mechanics and welders, have all rejected the contracts.
If even one of the four railroad unions were to go on strike, the other 11 would honor the picket lines, shutting down the railroads. Should this happen, Congress could step in and order the railroad workers to remain on the job or return to work, based on the Railway Labor Act of 1926.
White House brokered contract
The White House appointed an emergency board in July to mediate a dispute between six major rail carriers and 12 unions that represent 115,000 railroad workers. But unions voted down that contract agreement.
Attendance policies were at the center of the contract dispute. The brokered contract the Biden administration offered in September this year gives workers a 24 percent raise over five years, an additional personal day, and caps on health care costs. It also includes some modifications to the railroads’ strict attendance policies, allowing workers to attend to medical needs without facing penalties for missing work.
The railroads called it the most generous contract in modern history and noted that upon ratification, workers would see an average payout of $16,000 in back raises and bonuses.
