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Countdown Begins Toward Amtrak Showdown

November 6, 2007

Late on the afternoon of October 31, the National Mediation Board officially released the IBEW and eight other Rail Labor Unions from mediation with Amtrak, thus setting the stage for a final showdown in our contract negotiations dispute with the nation’s passenger railroad.  As such, if no agreement is reached or there is no intervention by President Bush by 12:01 a.m (EST) Saturday December 1, 2007, our Amtrak members would be free to strike and Amtrak would be free to impose new working rules and conditions on the employees released.  In a last ditch effort to avoid a confrontation, the National Mediation Board has scheduled one more negotiating session between the IBEW and Amtrak for November 20th.  The IBEW will take part in this session along with the other Rail Labor Organizations in our bargaining coalition, the TCU, the IAM, and the TWU.  If past talks with Amtrak are any indication of where this negotiating session will lead, we are not optimistic that a contract settlement will be reached.

However, at this time we expect that President Bush, sometime before the December 1 deadline, will appoint a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) to intervene in the dispute.  Once this is done, the status quo remains in effect, we can’t strike and Amtrak can take no action.  For information on what follows, please read our previous article of October 24 pertaining to Amtrak by clicking here...

We will continue to fight for a fair and equitable contract for our members.  Our Bargaining Coalition is in the process of preparing our presentation for the PEB.  Additionally, IBEW System Council No. 7 will be mailing out strike ballots to all of our Amtrak members in the very near future.  For further information as this situation unfolds, please continue to visit the IBEW Web site.