Members of the Presidential Emergency Board have made recommendations to resolve a dispute between U.S. railroads and railroad unions. The two sides have 30 days to accept the recommendations or reach a different agreement. If an agreement isn’t reached, workers may go on strike. “It’s a real concern on the horizon because even a threat of a slowdown or a stoppage is worthy of our attention within agriculture,” says Mike Steenhoek, executive director, Soy Transportation Coalition. Steenhoek says it’s difficult to get a pulse on the outcome. “Rail unions wanted a 31 percent increase in wages over a five year period. Railroads offered 17 percent. Interestingly, the Presidential Emergency Board recommended 24 percent.” Additional negotiations are expected in the next few weeks.
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