Toy Association Signs Coalition Letter Urging Congressional Involvement in Railroad Negotiations

November 11, 2022 | The Toy Association signed a coalition originated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to all members of Congress urging the federal government to intervene in railroad labor negotiations to prevent a national rail strike. More than 350 trade associations and other groups signed onto the letter, which was shared on November 10 and requests for congressional leaders to engage with the issue when they return from recess on November 14.

The Association previously signed onto a National Retail Federation-led coalition letter to President Biden and the White House, also requesting for the federal government to continue working with railroad unions to avoid a strike as soon as November 19.

“No one wins when the railroads stop running. Congress recognized their necessity to interstate commerce and our nation’s economic health with the passage of the Railway Labor Act and past congressional interventions in rail labor disputes when other steps fail,” the letter says. “Indeed, Congress has intervened 18 times since 1926 in labor negotiations that threaten interstate commerce and there is no reason why Congress should deviate from this record today.”

So far, seven of the 12 rail unions have ratified their agreements with the railroads, however, two unions have rejected the labor deal. The two largest unions — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) — are voting now and will announce their results November 21.

The Toy Association’s Global Government & Regulatory Affairs team is engaged on the issue and is continually assessing potential member impacts from the situation. Members are encouraged to bookmark The Toy Association’s Shipping Crisis Resource Center for the latest updates.