Deal Rejected by Second Railroad Union, Increases Worries of Strikes

A second railroad union rejected its deal with the major U.S. freight railroads on Wednesday, reflecting workers’ increasing frustration with the lack of paid sick time and adding to concerns about the possibility of a strike next month that could cripple the economy.

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen said nearly 61% of the workers who voted opposed the five-year contract, even though it included 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. It is the second rail union to reject a deal this month.

Union President Michael Baldwin cited the “lack of good-faith bargaining” by the railroads, and said the recommendations of a board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed this summer denied workers the “basic right of paid time off for illness.”

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