(Reuters circulated the following on November 1.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak and eight unions representing 7,000 workers at the passenger railroad began a cooling-off period in labor negotiations on Thursday that could prompt White House intervention to resolve the dispute.
The National Mediation Board said it released the railroad and its workers from mediation on Wednesday, triggering a 30-day time frame during which the two sides will determine the next step.
The most likely scenario, according to union and railroad officials, is White House appointment of a special panel — a Presidential Emergency Board — to recommend a settlement and prevent any walkout from occurring.
But unions, including the Transportation Workers Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, would be free to strike as early as Dec. 1 if the emergency board is not convened and other steps to reach a contract or extend talks were unsuccessful.
Amtrak carries about 70,000 passengers a day on its nationwide route system. A walkout or other job action by Amtrak workers could also affect hundreds of thousands of commuters on local lines in the Northeast.
Virtually all of Amtrak’s unions have not had new contracts in seven years, although their old agreements remain in place. Sticking points include new work rules and back pay. Other unions were not involved in the latest round of mediation.