AN INDUSTRY FACING FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES
This round’s labor negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of unprecedented change across the freight railroad industry and among its customers.
At issue is that the health of railroads is affected by the dramatic reduction in shipments of coal – their largest revenue source – and in other commodities as the nation’s economy faces major challenges.
The bottom line is that the economic outlook for the industry has significantly shifted from when the labor negotiations began in 2014 – a development that must be taken into consideration by negotiators and interested parties.