The lurking railway workere can ultimately affect the way things move in this country, even people. Amtrak canceled some of its popular and picturesque cross-country routes this week in anticipation that a strike would render such freight trains inoperable.
Amtrak is not involved in union negotiations, as the current sticking point is mainly concerned with freight line workers, but outside of the NW corridor, Amtrak mainly runs on freight rails , especially west of Chicago. These routes take visitors through the Western and Western states, often running for many days, both as a means of transportation and as a sightseeing vacation. So far, affected lines include Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, California Zephyr’s popular 40-plus hour train.
These long-distance trains departing from Chicago to western destinations next Tuesday have been cancelled, plus part of the Texas Eagle line, which takes passengers from Los Angeles to San Antonio. Passengers can reschedule their trip with no fees or penalties or get a full refund. The American Railroad Association said in a statement September 8 that hundreds of thousands of visitors could be affected.
Places where people use Amtrak every day, like the Boston-New York-Washington DC corridor, remain unaffected. Follow Business Insider.
Currently, two of the 13 railway workers unions are still trying to get a better contract from the major railways: the Brotherhood of Locomotive and Train Engineers and the SMART Transport Division. These two unions are very strong and have the most members of all unions. They are demanding more flexibility in terms of sick leave and paid leave, as well as more workers to cover when such situations arise. Currently, engineers and conductors say they face criticism and even fire for calling sick, taking a day to see a doctor or having a family emergency. . Overtime is often mandatory, forcing workers to work long hours, day in and day out, without breaks. Meanwhile, the train companies posted the biggest profits in their 160-year history.
