Rail workers at biggest unions split on contract, strike potential unclear
Workers at two of the country's biggest rail unions split over a tentative contract their leaders had hashed out with freight rail companies — leaving open the possibility of a debilitating rail strike in the middle of the holiday season. The 28,000-member SMART-TD union, which represents rail conductors, rejected the contract after one of its divisions voted it down. Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which represents some 24,000 freight train engineers, voted in favor of the deal. The no vote is a rejection of the compromise worked out in September with the help of the White House and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. Several unions have signaled their discontent primarily over the proposed contract’s lack of fully paid sick leave and other scheduling requirements. Union leaders said Monday they were ready to go back to the bargaining table. “This can all be settled through negotiations and without a strike," Jeremy Ferguson, the president of t...