AAR Response as Railroads, Unions Reach Agreements and Avert National Rail Strike at Busy Holiday Shipping, Travel Time
AAR Response as Railroads, Unions Reach Agreements
and Avert National Rail Strike at Busy Holiday Shipping, Travel Time
Washington, D.C. – Dec. 1, 2011 – The following statement was issued by Association of American Railroads President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger in response to voluntary settlement agreements reached today with two unions, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the American Train Dispatchers Association. The railroads also agreed to extend negotiations with the last of its unsettled rail unions, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees. Twelve out of 13 rail unions have settled with the railroads. These agreements will avert a national rail strike, which could have occurred as soon as December 6, 2011.
“The goal of the nation’s freight railroads, from the start of bargaining almost two years ago, has been to reach voluntary settlements with all of its rail unions. These agreements bring the industry closer to achieving that goal. Freight rail touches nearly every sector of our economy, and we are committed to finalizing the remaining agreement so that we can continue to deliver for the tens of thousands of American businesses that rely on rail, and the hundreds of thousands of Americans who use passenger rail to commute to work every day.”
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About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org. Follow us on Twitter: AAR_FreightRail or Facebook: www.facebook.com/freightrail.