Union, Amtrak Extend Contract Talks

A possible midweek strike by Amtrak workers was sidestepped when labor and management agreed to a U.S. Transportation Department request to extend their contract talks for at least a week. Had the strike begun after the midnight Tuesday deadline, it would have affected 50,000 daily Amtrak riders and 450,000 commuters who use trains in the Northeast that run on Amtrak tracks. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater, in a letter to Amtrak and union leaders, urged both sides to “redouble their efforts to resolve their contract disputes quickly.” He said the administration will press Congress to enact legislation to ensure the railway’s viability. Amtrak and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, which represents 2,300 workers who construct and maintain railroad track, are far apart on key wage issues. They have been in talks since the old contract expired in 1994.