Railroad strike could mean food and water shortages. What to know as Biden urges block

For the second time this year, America is on the brink of a nationwide railroad worker strike.

After a tentative deal was agreed upon between rail carriers and unions representing more than 125,000 workers in September, the parties now have until Friday, Dec. 9 before workers begin to strike, according to the Association of American Railroads. Four of the 12 unions representing workers have rejected the existing deal.

With negotiations at a a standstill and a strike looming, President Joe Biden called on Congress to step in and block the possibility of a strike by immediately passing legislation to adopt the Tentative Agreement.

“Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy. Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down,” Biden said on Monday, Nov. 28.

“As a proud pro-labor president, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” Biden said. “But in this case – where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families – I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal.”

Biden’s statement came the same day that a coalition of more than 400 groups sent a letter to Congress asking that it intervene in the ongoing negotiations.

“A stoppage of rail service for any duration would be extremely damaging to American families and our economy,” the letter reads. “No one wins when the railroads stop running...businesses and communities rely on regular rail service and may not have significant reserves, even in the event of a short-term strike.”

Here’s what you need to know about the potential railroad worker strike.

What happens if railroad workers strike?

If this happens, railroads would begin to prepare for a shutdown days in advance and businesses and consumers could begin to feel the impacts as early as Dec. 5, according to the coalition’s letter. In September, when there was the first hint of a strike, ”the mere possibility...created significant disruptions.”

Before a shutdown commences, railroads must manage the handling of hazardous material shipments, position equipment to minimize blocking highways and coordinate with customers and passengers, according to the Association of American Railroads. This preparation also would make it easier for operations to resume when the strike ends.

If railroad workers initiate a strike at on Dec. 9, here’s what the timeline would look like:

• Dec. 5: All hazardous materials shipments would be halted according to hazmat custodial responsibilities.

• Between Dec. 6 and 7: Amtrak would begin stopping long-distance intercity passenger trains. Steps would begin to ameliorate congestion and capacity constraints at handoff locations.

• Dec. 7: Loaded and empty unit trains would be held at customer locations and positioned for easy resumption of service.

• Dec. 8: Trains would be canceled or consolidated to prevent leaving personnel and equipment in vulnerable or obstructive locations. Commuter trains that use freight lines would be notified and would potentially be forced to suspend service.

• Dec. 8 at 12 p.m.: No more freight or Amtrak trains would be allowed to dispatch to ensure safe positioning before the shutdown.

• Dec. 9 at 12:01 a.m.: The strike would officially begin and intermodal yards, where cargo is loaded and unloaded, would shut down.

Strikes would be ‘extremely damaging’

If workers initiate a strike next month, there could be devastating impacts, not only on a national level but for individuals, too.

The Association of American Railroads predicts that a rail work stoppage could cost the United States upwards of $2 billion per day.

Each day, an average of 39,000 shipping containers and truck trailers carry goods from multiple sectors on railroads, according to the association. Without this mode of transport, these goods would be re-distributed for transport by trucks. However, trucks could manage just a fraction of what railroads transport.

“Adding hundreds of thousands of additional trucks to our highways would make highway gridlock much worse and quickly cause enormous additional highway damage,” the association said. “Additional trucks required to transport the freight no longer carried by railroads would consume an estimated 36 million additional gallons of fuel each day. That would mean an extra 800 million pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere daily. It would also mean longer commutes.

Here are some of the other implications a railroad strike would have on consumers, according to the association:

• Food transport: Railroads are responsible for more than 20% of grain shipments, and they annually transport around 1.6 million carloads of wheat, corn, soybeans and other agricultural products. Furthermore, trains haul an annual 1.5 million units of animal feed, beer, flour, frozen chicken, french fries, sugar, wine and more. On a daily basis, this is about 6,300 carloads of food and farm products. Without this transport, food and farm products will be forced to rely on other modes of travel that are not equipped to keep up with so many goods.
  
  
  
  

• Clean water: Railroads are hugely responsible for the transport of chemicals throughout the country, including those chemicals essential to public health and access to electricity. According to the EPA, a strike could inhibit the transport of several water treatment chemicals such as chlorine, sodium hydroxide, anhydrous ammonia, ferric and sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and carbon dioxide.

• Commute and travel: With railways closed, Amtrak and other commuter rail trips would be disrupted if not canceled. About 97% of Amtrak’s system is tracks owned by freight railroads, which would be effectively shut down as of Dec. 9 if an agreement is not reached. Up to 7 million travelers would be disrupted daily, according to the coalition letter.
  
  

There are several bigger picture implications of a railway strike, too.

With supply chains hampered, prices could spike again, renewing inflationary pressure for consumers, the association said.

The job market could likewise take a significant blow, according to the association. Railroads support more than one million additional jobs outside of just railroad workers. A shutdown would disrupt these workers, too.

Why are railroad workers striking?

Railroad workers are demanding better working conditions, especially paid sick days that are currently not included in workers’ contracts, according to ABC. Unions have said that railroad companies have penalized workers for taking sick time.

The current agreement, which has been ratified by only eight of the 12 labor unions, offers workers a 24% wage increase over a four-year period with an immediate 14.1% increase, according to the Association of American Railroads. Employees would maintain their current health care plans and earn an additional paid personal leave day each year.

If the remaining four groups do not ratify, Biden has asked that Congress step in and implement the agreement without the approval of all workers. The plan, however, still lacks paid sick days.

Workers, unions and their supporters are calling on legislators to include sick days before intervening.

“We don’t have to chose between a functioning railroad network & paid sick leave for workers. Rail companies earn billions in profits and can easily afford paid sick leave. Congress can avert a strike by imposing an agreement that includes paid sick leave,” Judd Legum, author of the Popular Information newsletter, tweeted Tuesday.

“When railroads refuse to give us sick time, what they are saying is their profits are worth more important than their workers and the national economy. Hold the railroads accountable. Tell your elected leaders to give railroad workers the sick time they need or let them strike,” Ross Grooters, a unionized railroad worker, said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Despite the pushback, Congress said on Tuesday that it is looking to pass legislation preventing the nationwide strike, the New York Times reported. A bill is expected by Wednesday.

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