Dear Valuable Customer,

Currently with the potential rail strike by union members who work for Class I rail operators BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, CN, CP, Union Pacific, and KCS. Of the 12 unions that have participated in the negotiations, eight have approved contracts while four unions representing 60,000 rail workers have voted down the tentative agreement that had been negotiated in September with the participation of a White House appointed mediation panel.

Four rail unions have aligned on a potential national strike date of December 9. The four unions rejecting the current offer include SMART TD, BMWED-IBT, BRS, and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. If even one of the railroad unions were to go on strike, the other 11 would honor the picket lines, effectively shutting down the national railroad network. Friday, December 9th at 12:01 am EST marks the end of a cooling off period, giving rail union workers the option of striking. The dispute is over wages, attendance policies and paid time off.

Congress is considering two resolutions; one would end the threat of a rail strike, and a second would give employees short-term paid sick days.

If a strike ensues, there would be no train movement in the rail network as early as 12:01 am on December 9th. This would include the shutdown of all cross-border rail activity in either direction between the U.S. and Canada. Most rail ramps will remain open for import pickup, though there may be significant congestion and limited cargo access.

Trans Wagon understand the frustration of the strike if it will occur. So we want to help our customer with potential alternative planning.

Should you desire information on any of these business continuity solutions, please feel free to contact your Account Executive.

We will update all our customer concerning about this developing situation and we will keep you informed of all developments that could affect your supply chain as new information becomes available.

Thank for you entrusting us to care for your logistics needs.

Sincerely Yours,
Trans Wagon Int’l USA Co., LTD