<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5188">http://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5188</a><!-- m -->

Quote:The National Mediation Board released the BLET and several other Rail Labor unions from mediation with rail carriers on September 6, triggering a 30-day cooling off period, which expires at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 7, 2011.

Quote:BLET members who are employed on the railroads where the dispute exists and where the BLET has representation rights for their craft are eligible to participate in the strike authorization vote. The following members may participate in the vote:

All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by the Belt Railway Company of Chicago.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by BNSF Railway.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Consolidated Rail Corporation.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by CSX Transportation.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Kansas City Southern Railway Company, including the following subsidiaries: Kansas City Southern Railway; Louisiana and Arkansas Railway; MidSouth Rail Corporation; Gateway Western Railway; SouthRail Corporation; and Texas Mexican Railway Company (locomotive engineers and train service employees).
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Longview Switching Company.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Norfolk Southern Company.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Portland Terminal Railroad Company.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Soo Line Railroad Company d.b.a. Canadian Pacific.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Union Pacific Railroad Company.
All active locomotive engineers, except company officers, employed by Winston Salem Southbound Railway Company.

Wow! I wasn't on top of this story! Could get pretty quiet along the rails, huh?

I've been a bit surprised that more folks weren't aware of this pending strike so glad to see it's been mentioned. Guess we'll find out at midnight tonight if they go ahead with it.

So much for rail fanning this weekend!

The President has signed an order to prevent the strike Gives them another 60 days
Charlie

Thanks for the update on the strike. Guess I can go out rail fanning tomorrow after all.

Union strike news are farts in the wind until mediations completely fail and they actually go on strike, media wants their piece of the pie but it needs to be worth showing since many unions claim striking too often



Seems like the president conjured up an emergency team to investigate which means another 30 day hush

Given the sorry state of the economy and the millions of Americans who cannot even get jobs no matter how hard they search - this seems like a very poor move on anybody's part.