No Metra service Friday? Potential strike could halt trains on most routes
With fraught negotiations between freight railroads and workers stalling, Metra warned riders to prepare for a potential strike on Friday that could halt trains on most routes.
The labor action "may directly impact Metra's ability to operate most of its services," the commuter railroad told passengers in an alert Tuesday. Those would include Metra's four busiest lines - the BNSF and Union Pacific North, Northwest and West.
"With the exception of the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines, Metra's nine other lines either use tracks owned by freight railroads, intersect with tracks operated by our freight partners, or are dispatched by freight railroads," officials said.
"Four of our lines, the BNSF and Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West, are owned by and directly operated by freight railroads. If the work stoppage occurs, we expect there will not be service on these lines."
"We are hopeful that a settlement will be reached before the strike deadline (on Friday). However, we want you to be aware of this issue so that you can make alternate plans for travel should a work stoppage occur," Metra warned.
The labor dispute involves all the Class 1 or major freight railroads operating in the U.S. and 12 unions representing 115,000 workers.
A strike would affect many commuter train agencies across the U.S. plus Amtrak, as well as hamstring deliveries of everything from cars to chemicals to agricultural products.
That's bad news for a nation already hurting from supply chain dysfunction, not to mention the economic shock waves for manufacturing.
In mid-July, President Joe Biden established a Presidential Emergency Board of independent arbitrators to mediate a settlement, but differences remain.
So far, agreements have been reached with nine out of 12 unions, according to the National Railway Labor Conference, an association of freight railroads.
Unions with outstanding concerns include the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail Transportation) Union Transportation Division. The two constitute about half the affected workers.
Both unions' leaders said in a statement that working conditions are at the crux of the disconnect.
"Penalizing engineers and conductors for getting sick or going to a doctor's visit with termination must be stopped as part of this contract settlement," officials said. "Our members are being terminated for getting sick or for attending routine medical visits as we crawl our way out of worldwide pandemic."