Some union rail workers who are threatening to strike say their voices are not being heard. They’re unhappy with the deal President Joe Biden’s team brokered. They say it gave unfair leverage to their bosses.
A second railroad union rejected its deal with the major U.S. freight railroads on Wednesday, adding to concerns about the possibility of a strike next month that could cripple the economy.
The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) union, representing more than 6,000 members, said on Wednesday that workers voted against ratifying a national tentative agreement reached in mid-September—the second union not to approve the deal.
Previously, six of 12 unions voted to approve the deal. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which represents freight railroads in labor talks, said Wednesday it was disappointed in the BRS vote, but both sides have agreed to maintain the status quo until early December.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED), which represents more than 11,000 workers, had already rejected the deal earlier this month.
