FILE-A Norfolk Southern freight train is traveling East. Government officials and a variety of businesses are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike that could impact shipments for all goods. (Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle OMAHA, Neb. - Members of one union rejected a tentative deal with the largest U.S.
freight railroads Wednesday while three other unions remained at the bargaining table just days ahead of a strike deadline, threatening to intensify snarls in the nation's supply chain that have contributed to rising prices.About 4,900 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 19 voted to reject the tentative agreement negotiated by IAM leadership with the railroads, the union said Wednesday.Railroads need to reach an agreement with all their unions to avert a Friday strike deadline.RELATED: Massive rail strike could mean more supply chain issuesGovernment officials and a variety of businesses are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike that would paralyze shipments of everything from crude and clothing to cars, a potential calamity for businesses that have struggled for more than two years due to COVID-19 related supply chain breakdowns.There are 12 unions — one with two separate divisions — that must agree to the tentative deals.
So far, nine had agreed to tentative deals and three others are still at the bargaining table. IAM members were the first to reject their deal while other votes are expected Wednesday.The tentative deals are based on the recommendations of a Presidential Emergency Board Joe Biden appointed this summer that called for 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that’s retroactive to 2020.