Intensifying efforts to avert crippling rail strike go into overtime
CNN
Talks intensified Wednesday in hope of averting a freight railroad strike set for early Friday that could cripple the nation's struggling supply chain and send prices higher for goods from gasoline to food to cars.
Two rail unions, representing more than 50,000 engineers and conductors who make up the two-person crews that make the trains run, are threatening the first rail strike in 30 years as of 12:01 am ET Friday. Union leaders and the railroads' labor negotiators were meeting throughout the day with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh at his Washington, DC, office. The talks were still continuing as of 6:30 pm ET, which was taken as a hopeful sign that perhaps progress was being made.
In fact a person familiar with the discussions said the negotiators had just ordered an Italian dinner to be delivered, which could be seen that there are no plans to break off talks in the near term.