USA Rail Labor / Potential Strike Next week

After failing to reach an agreement on a new contact, rail unions could ​​​​​go on strike next week.  The 30 day cooling-off period following mediation ends at 12:01 next Monday July 18, 2022.  The US government has until that time to intervene with emergency board to step in to resolve the dispute.  Read more in this article from Freight Waves. 

If rail labor goes on strike, this could impact all intermodal moves to/from the ports as well as domestic rail moves. We will continue to monitor the situation and update on developments that could delay or disrupt shipments.

A few other labor issues we are watching:

Update on US West Coast Labor Contract Talks
The Journal of Commerce is saying that sources close to the negotiations think an agreement may be reached in August or September for the US West Coast port labor.  We’ll continue to monitor and update on any developments or official news.  Here is the link to the Journal of Commerce (paywall) 

California AB5 Protests 
​​​​​​Truckers protested earlier this week in Southern California ports and protests are planned in Oakland next Monday through Wednesday.  
View more about the situation in this article from Freight Waves

You can find a summary of the current rail, port and California trucking disputes in this article from American Journal of Transportation.