More than 190 members of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group want Congress to prepare to help prevent a railroad strike or lockout.
Beef Magazine says a strike or lockout would shut down all rail-dependent facilities and result in devastating consequences to both national and global food security. The Biden administration successfully helped broker an agreement between the National Railway Labor Conference and 12 labor unions on September 15. But two unions voted against the agreement while four others continue reviewing it.
The food and agriculture groups sent a letter to congressional leadership saying action will be necessary if the parties fail to reach an agreement. “Resolution of the dispute before November 19 is necessary to ensure uninterrupted rail service,” the letter says. “Adding urgency to the matter is critical inputs, and agricultural products like ammonia could be embargoed starting November 14.” They say a rail strike would be “catastrophic” to the U.S. economy.
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Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.