While a third union, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) joins the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) in rejecting the current offer from carriers, citing the lack of sick time, all parties have agreed to extend the cooling off period, the time in which no industrial action may be taken, such as a strike, from November 19 to December 4th.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) has issued a statement saying, “The railroads will remain engaged with BMWED throughout the extended cooling off period and will continue to seek an agreement based on the framework recommended by Presidential Emergency Board 250.”
It should be noted that if one union chooses to strike, all of the other unions must participate.
If a strike action is taken, it is estimated that it will cost the US economy upwards of $2 billion dollars per day. It will also cause a massive supply chain snarl that will have everyone scrambling for capacity, especially with the holiday rush.
While you can check the individual carrier websites yourself for service updates here: CN, Norfolk Southern, CSX, CP, BNSF, and UP, we here at Sobel are monitoring the situation closely and our expert team is already working on contingency plans for our clients and we’ll keep you updated as we learn more about the situation as it unfolds.
While others will be looking for trucking capacity in a stressed marketplace, we have the resources to help you fulfill your service promises. We have a dedicated fleet of nationwide carriers ready to keep you moving. With a suite of services at your fingertips, you can trust Sobel. Reach out to us today to see how we can customize your logistics strategy.
