What happens if railroad workers go on strike?

A potential strike could lead to $2 billion a day in lost economic output, according to the Association of American Railroads, which lobbies on behalf of rail companies. Freight railroads are responsible for carrying 40% of the nation's long-haul freight and a work stoppage could jeopardize these shipments.



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Most importantly, know that it is possible to travel on strike days. Trains run on some routes, and your rights to compensation and help in the event of disruption aren't any different. If there's a train scheduled to run, go ahead and catch it!

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The railroads, which haul about 40% of the nation's freight each year, estimated that a rail strike would cost the economy $2bn a day in a report issued earlier this fall.

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Yes, most rail operators will offer compensation if you are affected by the rail strikes, however, it will depend on the type of ticket you have and whether the rail operator runs a compensation scheme, most commonly referred to as a 'Delay repay' scheme.

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A rail strike could have frozen almost 30% of U.S. cargo shipments by weight, stoked already surging inflation, cost the American economy as much as $2 billion a day, and stranded millions of rail passengers.

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Supply Squeezes If railroad workers went on strike, drayage freight truckers would lack the necessary equipment to handle the supply capacity of a freight train. With less space to transport goods via trucks, it would take longer to move the same amount of product.

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Widespread economic impact Among the problems could be: Gasoline: Without freight railroads, oil refineries would have trouble producing their current volumes of gasoline, which could send gas prices higher, ending a string of three months of falling prices at the pump.

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Under the law that controls rail labor, the unions can go back out on strike after Congress returns to session for five days.

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Train drivers represented by the Aslef union will be on strike on Wednesday, October 4, when there will be almost no rail services running. The union also has a ban on overtime across the network from October 2 to 6.

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Aslef is staging a combination strike and overtime ban for the start of September. Train drivers walked out on Friday 1 September and are refusing non-contractual overtime on Saturday 2 September – coinciding with the latest RMT strike.

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Leave as much time as possible during a rail strike Despite what some operators claim, strike days usually aren't extremely busy (unless there are lots of strike days in a row), so you won't find yourself struggling to board every single train. However, it's a good idea to check where your train starts from.

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In addition to the disruption on strike days, trains on adjacent days may be affected. Trains on these days are also likely to be extremely busy due to passengers moving their journeys to avoid industrial action.

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Often, disruption isn't just on the day of a strike. There is usually also an impact on services in the afternoon and evening on the day before each strike, as well as on the morning of the day after. This is because trains and drivers are out of their planned positions as a result of the strikes.

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“At a time of record-breaking profits, that industry can and must guarantee at least seven paid sick days to every rail worker in America,” Sanders said. “In the year 2023, that is not a whole lot to ask.”

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But the railroads said the recommended wage increases and bonuses would result in average payouts of $11,000 to rail workers for back wages dating back to 2020.

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BNSF is easily the highest paid railroad... our guarantee rates of pay rank above any other class 1 railroad.

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