North Coast Area Labor Federation President Pat Gallagher made his regular appearance on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement deal reached between railway unions and the railroads early this morning, which if accepted, will avert a nationwide strike.
Gallagher credited the efforts of U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and President Joe Biden in preventing a shutdown of the railroads that would have crippled the nation’s supply chain with devastating economic consequences.
Though details are not yet known, Gallagher said the agreement appears to include an increase in wages, changes in working conditions and improvements to healthcare.
Gallagher, who also serves as Sub-District Director for United Steelworkers (USW) District 1, then talked about a tentative CBA Cleveland-Cliffs reached with USW members. The offer will make jobs and benefits more secure and require a $4 billion investment in union-represented steel mills.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.