Rail Strike Averted After A Tentative Agreement Was Reached Late Wednesday Night

American railway companies and unions have reached a tentative labor agreement amid the threat of strikes. A deal between the nation’s rail companies, including BNSF and Union Pacific, was reached with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen overnight. The agreement contains better working conditions for workers, which includes sick pay. President Biden says the deal is “a win for tens of thousands of rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that America’s families and communities got deliveries of what have kept us going during these difficult years.” A strike by rail workers could have had a crippling impact on the US economy, bringing much of the country to a standstill, because it would impact not just freight movement but travelers and commuters who rely on trains. Amtrak already had cancelled long distance trips Wednesday. Now that a strike appears to have been averted, operations should go back to normal pretty quickly.