1992 United States railroad strike

Great Railroad Strike of 1922Labor strike in the United States in 1992 March 2023 November 2021 1992 United States railroad strike June 24–26, 1992(06 24 1992 06 26 1992) United States International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers CSX Transportation The 1992 United States railroad strike was a strike by railroad employees between June 24 and June 26, 1992. The strike was launched by the International Association of Machinists, a union representing employees of CSX Transportation.Eaton William J. Woutat Donald June 26, 1992 President Signs Bill to End U.S. Rail Shutdown https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-26-mn-981-story.html live October 2, 2021 Los Angeles Times en-US https://web.archive.org/web/20211002171603/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-26-mn-981-story.html October 2, 2021 Due to the interconnectedness of the United States railroad system, the strike caused railroads across the country to shut down their operations. The impact of the strike and subsequent shutdown was so severe that the federal government swiftly intervened to end it. The House and Senate passed the Railway Strike bill (102 hjres 517) on June 26 banning both strikes and lockouts, which was then signed by President George H. W. Bush the same day. Background In June 1992, tensions were high between railroads and organized labor. A number of unions threatened to launch a strike if their demands were not met by the end of the day on Tuesday the 23rd. However, most unions agreed to extend their deadline amid negotiations with railroads such as Amtrak and Conrail.June 24, 1992 Freight railroads, Amtrak stop dead in their tracks Portsmouth Daily Times https://books.google.com/books?id=ychQAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1 October 2, 2021 Early newspapers on the morning of Wednesday the 24th ran headlines reporting a potential strike by Amtrak employees had been averted.Associated Press June 24, 1992 Nationwide rail strike averted The Times-News https://books.google.com/books?id=oDAaAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6 October 2, 2021 President Bush warned ahead of a potential strike that because of the potential for extreme disruption to the nation's economy, "it ought to end the day it begins". The strike The strike began just after midnight on Wednesday June 24. It was launched by the International Association of Machinists among members who worked for CSX Transportation. The union defied the extension of the strike deadline, and no other unions joined in the strike as a result. Even though the strike was confined to just one railroad, 40 railroads in the United States all responded by halting their operations, which unions said was an attempt by the railroad industry to force government intervention in the strike by instituting a lockout. As a result of the strike, virtually all freight railroad transport ceased at once. Passenger service along freight lines was also suspended. The only trains that continued operating were passenger trains on lines owned by Amtrak or other passenger railroads. Service along the Northeast Corridor was largely unaffected by the strike, as Amtrak owned the railroad line in question.Associated Press June 24, 1992 Northeast apparently escapes rail shutdown The Telegraph https://books.google.com/books?id=laxKAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11 October 2, 2021 The Bush administration asserted that the strike and its effects cost the nation $1 billion per day as a result of lost wages and industries that relied on rail transport being forced to shut down. Government intervention Congress reacted rapidly to the strike and subsequent industry lockout. In what the Los Angeles Times described as "with rare speed", the House and Senate both passed the Railway Strike bill in the evening of Thursday June 25 which contained a ban on both strikes by railroad workers and lockouts by railroads against their employees. The bill was passed shortly before three Amtrak unions had threatened to begin a strike, with a deadline of 12:01 AM Friday morning set for a walkout to begin. President Bush signed it into law shortly after it cleared both chambers of Congress.United States Congress 1992-06-26 Actions - H.J.Res.517 - 102nd Congress (1991-1992): To provide for a settlement of the railroad labor-management disputes between certain railroads and certain of their employees. https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/house-joint-resolution/517/actions live 2021-10-02 www.congress.gov https://web.archive.org/web/20211002185524/https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/house-joint-resolution/517/actions October 2, 2021 The law created by congress required mandatory arbitration in disputes between railroads and their employees. Reactions A number of members of Congress criticized the bill as being unfriendly to workers. Representative Pat Williams of Montana described the bill as "a fundamental mistake that will haunt railroad workers for decades". In the Senate, Howard Metzenbaum reacted to the bill by saying, "Workers are getting the short end of the stick". Other members of Congress asserted that the magnitude of the railroad shutdown demanded immediate action, including those traditionally perceived as being pro-labor. Defenders of the bill included senator Ted Kennedy and representative Al Swift. The latter defended the bill, saying "It's a new idea and it treats organized labor better than anything Congress has ever done before." Alexander Cockburn harshly criticized the government response in an op-ed, asserting that "capital has gone on strike" and comparing it to Italian Fascism.Cockburn Alexander Alexander Cockburn July 17, 1992 Congress shafted rail workers by intervening to end 'strike' Moscow-Pullman Daily News https://books.google.com/books?id=ArwjAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23 October 2, 2021 See also Railway Labor Act 2022 United States railroad labor dispute References Category:Rail transportation labor disputes in the United States Category:1992 in rail transport Category:1992 labor disputes and strikes Category:June 1992 in the United States Category:1990s strikes in the United States