Nearly 5,000 railroad workers have rejected a tentative labor deal between their union and the carriers as the possibility of a work stoppage becomes increasingly more realistic.
IAM District 19 is one of 12 unions involved in the negotiations. A strike or lockout becomes possible on Friday when a federally mandated “cool-down period” ends. The union agreed to extend the cooling-off period until Sept. 29 for negotiations to continue “out of respect for other unions in the ratification process,” according to a letter by union president Kyle Loos.
IAM District 19 was one of the first unions to reach a tentative agreement after an emergency mediation board appointed by President Joe Biden issued a report last month. The board