Railways Face ‘Total Shutdown’ Without Union Deal by Deadline

Close to 125,000 railroad workers are prepared to walk off the job at the end of the week if freight-rail companies don’t reach agreements with all the labor groups negotiating contracts now, raising the specter of a complete shutdown of the US rail system.

While nine of 12 railroad unions involved in the dispute had reached or were close to reaching tentative agreements with freight carriers as of Monday, members of those unions also would refuse to work unless a deal is reached with the whole group, leaders said.

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