By Doug Cunningham

Seven years. That’s how long Amtrak workers have worked without a contract. Now nine of the unions representing them have rejected arbitration, the clock is ticking on a possible strike. Because Amtrak workers are covered under the National Railway Labor Act there must be a 30-day cooling off period and in that time a presidential emergency board could be created to recommend a way to resolve the labor dispute. The board has 30 days to do that, followed by another 30 day cooling off period. So if a strike happens it won’t be until early 2008. Among the issues on the table for Amtrak workers are back pay to 2000, when the last contract expired, healthcare and changes in work rules that Amtrak wants. Congress could impose a settlement. That would be a test of labor’s political strength in a Congress that went Democratic thanks to labor’s huge political effort in 2006.