成千上万的铁路工人站在全国大罢工的边缘罢工这将在繁忙的假期前使美国供应链和客运铁路服务陷入瘫痪。
“让我说清楚:铁路关闭会摧毁我们的经济，”乔·拜登总统说说星期一。"如果没有货运铁路，许多美国工业将会倒闭。"
拜登要求国会通过一项法律，强制执行9月份达成的一项临时协议的条款，但遭到几个工会的拒绝。
铁路工人和公司之间潜在交易的命运仍不确定，尤其是如果国会未能强制实施这项初步协议。12个工会中有4个已经被否决了该协议和这四个工会代表了大多数加入工会的铁路工人。
除非合同得到12个铁路工会的批准，否则全国范围的罢工是预料之中的，因为所有的工会都发誓在罢工的情况下不会越过纠察线。
工会表示，铁路员工正在寻求改善工作条件，因为工人没有带薪病假。工会指责铁路公司惩罚因医疗原因请假的工人，并以国家经济为人质来确保有利的交易。
在全国集体谈判中代表全国货运铁路的全国承运人会议委员会(National Carriers ' Conference Committee，简称NCCC)表示，铁路员工获得了“大量”休假，公司提供了一份公平的合同，其中包括大幅加薪。
以下是美国如何到达铁路关闭悬崖的时间表，以及随着未来几周最后期限的临近会发生什么:
7月15日–当铁路工会和公司努力就新合同的条款达成一致时，拜登签署了一份美国总统之行政命令这就产生了一个总统紧急委员会。
该委员会的目标是为双方之间的协议发布指导建议，以避免潜在的破坏性铁路罢工。
8月16日–总统紧急事务委员会就工会和铁路公司之间的妥协协议提出建议。
这些建议包括从2020年到2024年加薪24%以及增加奖金。然而，工会对新的休假政策的要求被忽略了。
9月14日据报道，铁路工人和公司为潜在的罢工做准备，罢工可能每天造成20亿美元的经济损失美国铁路协会代表铁路公司进行游说。
货运铁路承担了全国40%的长途货运，停工可能会危及这些运输。
9月15日–铁路公司和工会到达在美国劳工部长马蒂·沃尔什(Marty Walsh)的斡旋下，经过连续20个小时的谈判，达成了一项初步的劳工协议。
沃尔什说，这项初步协议“平衡了工人、企业和我国经济的需求”。
该协议改善了铁路公司的休假政策，这是谈判中的一个关键症结，根据两个最大的工会，机车工程师兄弟会Trainmen(简称BLET)和智能运输部门(简称SMART-TD)的声明。
十月十一日代表大约12，000名铁路工人的工会票数下降由白宫斡旋的临时合同，增加了最终罢工的可能性。
卡车司机工会员工维护部(BMWED)主席托尼·卡德尔(Tony Cardell)在一份声明中表示，由于对薪酬和工作条件感到失望，特别是缺乏带薪病假，BMWED拒绝了这份临时合同。
“铁路工人感觉不到价值，”卡德尔说。"他们对管理层不考虑他们的生活质量感到不满。"
代表货运铁路公司的组织——美国国家承运人会议委员会(National Carriers ' Conference Committee，简称NCCC ),对拒绝该合同的决定表示“失望”。
十月二十七日–第二次结合拒绝白宫斡旋的协议，提高了全国罢工的可能性。
根据铁路信号员兄弟会主席迈克尔·鲍德温(Michael Baldwin)的一份声明，代表6000名工人的工会铁路信号员兄弟会(Brotherhood of railway signalmers)的投票集中在带薪病假的缺乏上。
NCCC对工会投票表示失望。
NCCC在一份声明中表示，这份暂定合同“包括近50年来最大的工资待遇，维持铁路员工白金级的健康福利，并增加一天额外的带薪休假”。
十一月二十一日–全国最大的铁路工会票数下降这份由白宫斡旋的临时合同极大地增加了罢工的可能性。
该联盟表示，代表约2.8万名售票员的SMART-TD在投票中以微弱优势否决了该合同，投票人数创下纪录。
由工程师组成的第二大铁路工会投票支持该合同，分裂了顶级铁路工会。
十一月28日拜登要求随着12月最后期限的临近，国会将通过迫使工人工会接受白宫斡旋的协议来干预和避免潜在的罢工。
在一份声明中，拜登自诩为“亲工党”总统，但他表示，更大的经济影响超过了这些担忧。
“我不愿意推翻批准程序和那些投票反对该协定的人的观点。但在这种情况下——关闭的经济影响将伤害数百万其他劳动人民和家庭——我认为国会必须使用其权力来通过这项协议，”他说。
他呼吁国会迅速通过立法，采纳9月份白宫斡旋达成的协议。
即将离任的众议院议长南希·佩洛西后来在一份声明中说，众议院将很快着手这项立法，不会修改已经达成的条款。
十一月二十九日–拜登告诉美国广播公司新闻，他“有信心”美国将避免铁路罢工。
“我认为，国会必须采取行动阻止它，”他说。“这不是一个容易的决定，但我认为我们必须这样做。”
共和党国会领袖凯文·麦卡锡和麦康奈尔分别来自加利福尼亚州和肯塔基州。称他们认为实施临时协议的措施将会通过。
民主党国会领导人还没有走得更远，只是说他们会将该措施提交众议院和参议院。
白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔说，拜登有信心避免铁路罢工。
“他相信我们会解决这个问题，”让-皮埃尔说。
12月4日–在12月4日结束的本周结束前，众议院议员预计将讨论一项采用白宫斡旋的临时协议的法案。
如果通过，该法案将被送往参议院，在那里它面临着不确定的前景，因为众议院在两党之间平分秋色。大多数立法需要60票才能通过阻挠议事。
12月9日——12月9日是罢工的最后期限，届时工会可以采取协调一致的停工行动。
Rejected contracts, White House involvement: A timeline of a potential rail strike
Hundreds of thousands of rail workers stand on the brink of a nationwidestrikethat would paralyze the U.S. supply chain and passenger rail service ahead of the busy holiday season.
"Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy," President Joe Bidensaidon Monday. "Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down."
Biden asked Congress to pass a law that imposes the terms of a tentative agreement reached in September but was rejected by several unions.
The fate of a potential deal between rail workers and companies remains uncertain, especially if Congress fails to impose the tentative agreement. Four of 12 unions havealready voted downthe agreement and those four unions represent the majority of unionized rail workers.
A nationwide strike is expected unless the contract is ratified by each of the 12 rail unions, since all of the unions have vowed not to cross the picket line in the event of a work stoppage.
Unions have said rail employees are seeking improvements to working conditions, since workers do not receive paid sick days. The unions have accused rail companies of penalizing workers for taking time off for medical reasons and holding the nation's economy hostage to ensure a favorable deal.
The National Carriers' Conference Committee, or NCCC, which represents the nation's freight railroads in national collective bargaining, has said rail employees are provided "significant" time off and the companies have offered a fair contract that includes a considerable wage increase.
Here's a timeline of how the U.S. arrived at the precipice of a rail shutdown and what to expect as a deadline nears in the coming weeks:
July 15– As rail unions and companies struggle to reach an agreement on the terms of a new contract, Biden signs anexecutive orderthat creates a presidential emergency board.
The board's goal is to issue guideline recommendations for an agreement between the two sides in order to avert a potentially devastating rail strike.
Aug. 16– The presidential emergency board issues recommendations for a compromise agreement between the unions and rail companies.
The recommendations include a 24% raise from 2020 to 2024 and bonus increases. The union's demand for a new time-off policy, however, is omitted.
Sept. 14– Rail workers and companies prepare for a potential strike that could cost $2 billion a day in lost economic output, according to theAssociation 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.
Sept. 15– Rail companies and unionsreacha tentative labor agreement after 20 consecutive hours of negotiations brokered by U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
The tentative agreement "balances the needs of workers, businesses, and our nation's economy," Walsh said.
The agreement improves the time-off policies at the rail companies, which are a key sticking point in the negotiations, according to a statement from the two largest unions, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Trainmen, or BLET, and the SMART Transportation Division, or SMART-TD.
Oct. 11– A union representing about 12,000 rail workersvotes downthe tentative contract that was brokered by the White House, raising the possibility of an eventual strike.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the Teamsters, or BMWED, rejects the tentative contract due to frustration with compensation and working conditions, particularly a lack of paid sick days, BMWED President Tony Cardell says in a statement.
"Railroaders do not feel valued," Cardell says. "They resent the fact that management holds no regard for their quality of life."
The National Carriers' Conference Committee, or NCCC, the group representing the freight railroad companies, expresses "disappointment" in the decision to reject the contract.
Oct. 27– A second unionrejectsthe White House-brokered deal, elevating the likelihood of a nationwide strike.
The vote by the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, a union representing 6,000 workers, centers on the lack of paid sick days, according to a statement from Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen President Michael Baldwin.
The NCCC expresses disappointment over the union vote.
The tentative contract "included the largest wage package in nearly five decades, maintained rail employees' platinum-level health benefits, and added an additional day of paid time off," the NCCC says in a statement.
Nov. 21– The nation's largest rail unionvotes downthe tentative contract brokered by the White House, dramatically escalating the likelihood of a strike.
SMART-TD, which represents about 28,000 conductors, narrowly rejects the contract in a vote that garnered record turnout, the union says.
The second-largest rail union, made up of engineers, votes in favor of the contract, splitting the top rail unions.
Nov. 28– BidenasksCongress to intervene and avert a potential strike by forcing the workers' unions to accept a White House-brokered deal as a December deadline approaches.
In a statement, Biden touts himself as a "pro-labor" president but says the larger economic implications outweigh those concerns.
"I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement. But in this case -- where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families -- I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal," he says.
He calls on Congress to quickly pass legislation to adopt the White House-brokered deal reached in September.
Outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi later says in a statement that the House will soon take up such legislation and will not modify the agreed-upon terms.
Nov. 29– Biden tells ABC News he's "confident" the U.S. will avert a rail strike.
"Congress, I think, has to act to prevent it," he says. "It's not an easy call, but I think we have to do it."
Republican Congressional leaders Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., say they think a measure imposing the tentative agreement will pass.
Democratic Congressional leaders have not gone as far, saying only that they'd bring the measure before the House and Senate.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says Biden is confident a rail strike will be avoided.
"He’s confident we're going to get to a resolution on this," Jean-Pierre says.
Dec. 4– By the end of the week that concludes on Dec. 4, House lawmakers are expected to take up a bill that adopts the tentative agreement brokered by the White House.
If passed, the bill will be sent to the Senate, where it faces uncertain prospects as the chamber is split 50-50 between the parties. Most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
Dec. 9 – A strike deadline looms on Dec. 9, when unions could move forward with a coordinated work stoppage.
