Railroads say they won’t lock out workers as negotiators meet with Labor Secretary Walsh – By Lori Ann LaRocco (CNBC) / Sept 14, 2022
- The deadline to avert a strike is midnight Friday.
- Railroads have already started diverting freight. A strike could cost the U.S. economy more than $2 billion a day.
- “The railroads have no plans to lock out workers Friday should negotiations not be successfully completed,” the Association of American Railroads told CNBC.
Negotiators from railroad carriers and unions met in Labor Secretary Marty Walsh’s office Wednesday as the sides tried to negotiate a deal ahead of Friday’s strike deadline.
The meeting started just after 9 a.m. ET. A spokesperson for the Labor Department said talks were ongoing as of midday. “The parties are negotiating in good faith and have committed to staying at the table today,” the representative said.
Walsh’s involvement comes as the Biden administration prepares for a work stoppage. A strike, which could affect about 60,000 workers and idle more than 7,000 trains, could cost the U.S. economy more than $2 billion a day. On Wednesday, Amtrak said it would cancel its long-distance train service starting Thursday since it operates nearly all of its route miles on freight railroads.
The railroads, for their part, “have no plans to lock out workers Friday should negotiations not be successfully completed,” the Association of American Railroads told CNBC.
