Labor nears ratifying freight rail deal

   The two remaining labor unions that tentatively accepted new contracts with the freight railroad industry are expected to ratify those deals within the next week or two, Edward R. Hamberger, president of the Association of American Railroads, said Monday during a presentation at the Transportation Research Board’s annual conference in Washington.
   Members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association ratified new contracts with the nation’s largest freight railroads, represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, last week.
   Some of the union votes were above 90 percent in favor of the labor deal, Hamberger said after the event.
   The only union without a settlement is the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, which agreed in December to extend the “cooling off” period for an extra 60 days, avoiding the imminent possibility of a rail shutdown.
   If negotiations fail to produce an agreement by Feb. 8, the parties can engage in self-help, meaning a strike or lockout.
   At that point, Congress could step in and impose contract terms recommended by a Presidential Emergency Board last fall after 18 months of unsuccessful talks between unions and railroads brokered by the National Mediation Board. Among the issues in dispute was the level of healthcare benefits.
   The legislation would force employees back to work.
   Before the tentative agreement with several unions early last month, Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, submitted a bill to resolve the labor dispute by implementing the Presidential Emergency Board terms. – Eric Kulisch