2022 United States railroad labor dispute
| 2022 United States railroad labor dispute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 2019 – December 2022 | ||
| Location | United States | ||
| Caused by | Precision railroading | ||
| Goals | Improved working conditions | ||
| Methods | Collective bargaining | ||
| Parties | |||
The 2022 United States railroad labor dispute was a labor dispute between freight railroads and workers in the United States. Rail companies and unions had tentatively agreed to a deal in September 2022, but it was rejected by a majority of the unions' rank-and-file members. Congress and President Joe Biden intervened to pass the tentative agreement into law on December 2, averting a strike.
The new contract contains an immediate 14% wage increase and 24% salary increase over five years, plus one day of paid leave per year.
The companies and unions had been negotiating since 2019 and began mediation in June 2021. Biden convened a Presidential Emergency Board in July 2022, which issued recommendations and a 30-day cooling off period that expired on September 16, 2022. There were significant concerns that a freight rail strike would further exacerbate ongoing supply chain issues.