Back to the Drawing Board: Massive rail union strikes down labor contract

The largest freight union, SMART Transportation Division, comprised of 28,000 workers has rejected the contract agreement brokered by the Biden Administration.

Almost 51 percent voted against the deal.

Another large union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, voted to ratify the agreement by 53 percent, according to Reuters.

The agreement gives workers a quarter percent increase in pay over five years, and some changes to the railroads’ strict attendance policies.

There are now four unions that have voted down the agreement. If no agreement is reached by December 8th, the railroads could lock workers out or workers could go on strike.

Story via David Shepardson and Lisa Baertlein with Reuters

Related Stories
RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey was in Mission, Texas, where state and federal officials addressed growers and producers at a round table event hosted at a citrus grower’s facility. He shows us how welcome news was all around.
Lower freight costs helped sustain export demand amid a challenging pricing environment.
OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh discusses the EPA’s new Right to Repair guidance and other regulatory developments impacting the trucking and agriculture industries.
Rebuilding domestic textiles depends on automation and vertical integration, not tariffs or legacy manufacturing models.
Low prices are painful now, but production response could support stronger milk markets later in 2026.
At CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses profitability, consumer demand, and how the integrated U.S.–Canada beef supply chain impacts cattle producers across North America.