Railroads

It's possible that unions representing more than 90,000 freight railroad workers will go on strike on Friday, September 16. Such an action could, you should pardon the pun, ground nearly 30% of U S freight.

Our economy still struggles with supply chain issues. A prolonged strike by these folks could create more:

• empty shelves in stores

• closures at factories

• higher prices for consumer goods

Unions and management met with federal mediators and US Labor Secretary Martin Walsh Wednesday. At the close of the day, unions said there had been no progress.

Freight-carrying railroads thrived during the pandemic; that's not a problem. The significant hurdle? The set of rules governing worker scheduling. Many engineers and conductors, the basic two-person crew on every train, have to be on call seven days a week. Historically, that meant and still means:

• being unable to make their own plans

• decreasing time available for their families

• perhaps most significant, creating a high turnover rate

Here's the low-down. Railroad workers operate under a different labor law than those which govern most businesses. As a result, it might be up to Congress to prevent or quickly stop a strike. But doing so would require an unusual level of bipartisanship, which would be unlikely only weeks ahead of midterm elections.

Two months ago, President Biden prevented a strike. He imposed a 60-day cooling-off period, during which a panel examined disputes in negotiations and issued a recommended settlement. The 60-day cooling-off period will expire at 12:01 AM ET Sept. 16. After that, the President will no longer have the power to prevent a strike. It'll be up to Congress, either by imposing a deal on the two sides, or extending the current hiatus.

If it turns out to be left to Congress, it will be our responsibility too. As voters, we must ensure labor-friendly representation in both Chambers of Congress.