Out of the 11 unions, two holdouts could lead to a future strike as the two consist of roughly half of all rail workers. A third holdout union turned down a deal with the NCCC and will strike in two weeks if an agreement is not met. A potential strike could lead to a loss of $2 billion of lost economic output per day. Freight railroads are responsible for carrying 40% of the nation's freight and work stoppage could jeopardize these shipments.
If a strike does happen, Americans will feel the effects. The effects could assist of everything from the potential for layoffs to empty shelves to continued inflation. Chief economist at KPMG, Diane Swonk, revealed that this strike situation could add another layer to a slowing economy would put the American people in a very bad place.
Unions still negotiating are continuing to call for better time-off policies for their workers. Railroad companies are routinely penalize workers for taking time off for sickness or a doctor's appointment. Unions have reported that these policies have forces thousands of employees out of the industry and make it tough to recruit new workers. The Biden administration has issued recommendations for a compromise between parties that include a pay rise and bonus increases, but they excluded the demand for the union's time-off policy. President and members of congress have introduced resolutions that could end any potential strikes.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/looming-railroad-strike-could-cripple-us-economy/ar-AA11PRYo
