A potential railway strike was avoided in the United States. While the focus was an extension of supply chain issues and the loss of billions dollars, the complaints of workers remained ignored. Employees do not randomly go on strike unless there is a decline in working conditions. Railroad corporations have failed their employees in the US freight industry. BNSF and Union Pacific have seen immense profits, but workers have not seen dramatic improvement. Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate has done well considering the current economic condition in the US. The combination of labor cuts, reduced compensation, and grueling precision scheduling systems has caused discord among workers. On call scheduling systems and limited time off has added to the frustration. If US railway labor unions cannot get an agreement that solves all these problems, then this can happen again in the next few years. Paid time off and changing the scheduling policies are the only solutions. The Railway Labor Act was designed to allow corporations and unions to discuss concerns and grievances to avert a nation wide labor incident. If abuses still happen there may be no other choice but to do a mass strike. Labor unions should not settle for an agreement that does not get to the route of labor disputes. Laws should protect workers, not corporate power. A total of twelve labor unions have been negotiating contracts.
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