Potential railroad strike delayed until early December

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The possibility of an economically devastating railroad strike has been pushed back into early December to allow time for engineers and conductors to vote on their agreements with the freight railroads and give more opportunity for the industry to renegotiate with two unions that rejected their deals last month. Previously, a Nov. 19 strike deadline hung over the talks, but the union that represents track maintenance workers agreed Wednesday to delay any action until next month. But all 12 rail unions must approve their deals to avoid a strike and so far only seven have ratified the agreements that provide 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Rail workers remain concerned about the lack of paid sick time and the demanding schedules in the industry.