By Doug Cunningham

Armed with a Presidential Emergency Board recommendation that Amtrak essentially agree to the union position, bargaining resumed Wednesday between Amtrak and several unions. Because Amtrak took a take it or leave it stance refusing to bargain in good faith, workers have gone eight years without a new contract agreement. If they can’t agree to a contract, there could be a nationwide Amtrak strike January 30th. Don Griffin is Director of Strategic Coordination and Research for the Teamsters’ Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way.

[Griffin]: “It would affect freight railroad. It would be a nationwide strike. It would have impact on the freight railroads and it would have a substantial effect on commuter operations from Boston to Washington, D.C. Look, the last thing we want to do is go on strike, have a strike. The members lose money, they lose benefits, the public is inconvenienced. What we wanted was a voluntary agreement. And we were just unable to get to the point where we had serious discussions with Amtrak.”

The Presidential Emergency Board recommended a 35.2 percent retroactive wage increase for Amtrak workers and the board rejected arbitrary work rules changes that Amtrak was insisting upon. One sticking point now, though, is that the unions want the back pay to go to all Amtrak workers who earned it, not just those currently on Amtrak’s payroll as the Presidential Emergency Board recommended. Bargaining between Amtrak and nine unions is scheduled to last at least through Friday.