Union Pacific’s Dallas Intermodal Terminal in Hutchins is part of the International Inland Port of Dallas.Shipments of vital food, agriculture and energy products in and out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area could screech to a halt Friday morning with angry railroad employees threatening a strike that could upend the nation’s already fragile supply chain.
But the two sides seem far apart on solutions, leaving dozens of industries in North Texas uncertain about how much they can rely on rail in the coming days and weeks. Railroads have already begun curtailing shipments of hazardous materials, including ammonia, an important component in fertilizer used by American farmers. Passenger rail service Amtrak has canceled long-distance trips ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Experts say a strike of any length will hurt distributors, manufacturers, farmers and other groups that rely on rail deliveries in Texas. But an extended strike lasting weeks or months would cause widespread shortages of key retail goods, industrial products, food and other staples. . They say railroad operators have enacted strict attendance policies that make it difficult to take time off to go to work or attend family events. It’s a sentiment that’s been echoed by other union and nonunionized workers over the last year, from pilots and flight attendants to retail and restaurant workers.
FJB
Hi there!