Railroad Unions are ready to shut it all down

Railroads begin embargoes on hazardous materials in preparation for possible work stoppage

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Railroads have begun preparations to secure what they call “hazardous and security-sensitive materials” to make sure no such cargo is left on a train left unattended or unsecured in the event of a work stoppage, the Association of American Railroads, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific all said in news releases or messages to customers this evening (Friday, Sept. 9). And they have indicated that other customers could begin to see service disruptions as early as this Tuesday, Sept. 13, as railroads prepare for a possible shutdown.
Ed Elkins, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Norfolk Southern, wrote in a Friday message to intermodal customers that railroads “have reached or are finalizing tentative agreements with 10 of the 12 unions involved in negotiations.” To date, five unions have announced tentative agreements [see “Two more unions reach tentative agreements …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 3, 2022]. “We asked the two holdout unions for a commitment not to strike so we could continue normal operations,” Elkins wrote, “but they have declined.” That being the case, Elkins said, NS will begin embargoing certain types of shipments as of today, “which includes rail security-sensitive material and certain time-sensitive shipments outlined in the embargo.” Other customers, including bulk unit trains, intermodal, and automotive, will see a curtailment of service up to 72 hours before the end of the cooling-off period “to prepare for a safe and orderly stoppage should there be a strike.”

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Union Pacific, in its announcement to customers, provided a link to the Association of American Railroads statement, which says, in part, that railroads “are taking all measures necessary to handle sensitive cargo in accordance with federal regulations to ensure that no such cargo is left on an unattended or unsecured train in the event of a work stoppage.” It also warns that other customers “may also start to experience delayed or suspended service over the course of next week” as railroads prepare for a possible shutdown.

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Look up the list of worst employers in the United States and you'll see Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX, BNSF, etc all at the top of the list. They've been treating their workers like garbage for the last decade and it's all hitting the fan now. Workers haven't seen a new contract or raises since before the covid shutdown (when the rail workers were all furloughed) and just a couple of weeks ago the major companies were on the record stating that "labor does not contribute to the companies profits". Good luck out there baws - I doubt the feds allow the strike to go longer than a day or two but hopefully it gets the message across to the companies.