Passenger Trains > If a deal is not reached when would Amtrak start canceling LD?

Sounds like the odds of a strike are pretty significant at this point. I know last time Amtrak cancelled LD trains starting a few days before. If I understand correctly a strike could occur as soon as the 9th, does that mean Amtrak would start pulling LD routes around the 6th?

I'm scheduled on the #6 out of EMY on the 4th, feels like a bit of a close shave.

Yes they will

Posted from iPhone

amtrakbill Wrote:
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> Yes they will
>

How do you know this? Is there something definitive out there already upon which Amtrak is planning to suspend operations?

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/22 00:06 by ShortlinesUSA.

If and when a strike occurs, the freight railroads will shut down.  There will be no way to run Amtrak on those lines and Amtrak does not want its equipment stranded in midroute.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/22 00:38 by GenePoon.

I get that, but what I'm really questioning is how anyone can put a date on anything at this point.  All I've seen so far is needless worry over something which may or may not happen, and trying to tie a date to it and decide if your Amtrak plans will be disrupted is pointless.
 

Amtrak cancelled trains earlier this year anticipating a strike which never happened.  Took them a couple days to reinstate them after the strike was averted.  They don't want to send a train out and then have to rescue it and the Amtrak workers will not cross pickett lines.

           I would go ahead and cancel now and not be a bit concerned whether the railroads struke of not. Drive, fly, forget about the trip, whatever and life will be smoother.      : )

They would start cancelling 4 or 5 days out. Last time, they over did it and would not even run stub trains of the Empire Builder and Southwest Chief to St Paul and KC and back, and could have done it without strandings 2 days out. But Amtrak does not much care about corridor type travel on LD trains, cheaper for them to cancel entirely.  

The contract with a major crew union was voted down. There is a 30 day period before a strike can occur. I don't recall the exact dates, but that is how a date can be mentioned.

Posted from Android

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
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> I get that, but what I'm really questioning is how
> anyone can put a date on anything at this point. 
> All I've seen so far is needless worry over
> something which may or may not happen, and trying
> to tie a date to it and decide if your Amtrak
> plans will be disrupted is pointless.
>  

The contract with a major crew union was voted down. There is a 30 day period before a strike can occur. I don't recall the exact dates, but that is how a date can be mentioned.

Posted from Android

The date I've seen media using is December 9th. My train is on the 4th. Last time I believe they cancelled 3 days out.

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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>            I would go ahead and cancel now
> and not be a bit concerned whether the railroads
> strike of not. Drive, fly, forget about the trip,
> whatever and life will be smoother.      : )

Excellent advice. Why worry if you don't have to, right?

Posted from Android

I'm not exactly working on a loose budget here, that's why I'm sweating a little over this.

My Amtrak trip is coming up on Dec 7 to 12 on Amtrak 42 &43 from Latrobe, Pa to Philly then limo to Atlantic City, NJ. I thinking about calling Amtrak on Monday making another plans for Jan.2023 to Atlantic City. I don't like to fly in the winter time, I could take southwest airlines from Philly to Pittsburgh, Pa for $300.00 plus Dollars.

BLE-T executive Dennis Pierce was interviewed on The National Desk this weekend about the strike.  He acknowledged his members voted to accept the terms of the deal, but he and they remain very uncomfortable with the terms of the deal. And that any Congressional cram down (now or after January 4) would be worse.

I thought he did a good job of expressing the problems with short staffing the crew boards, and the fatigue imposed on the membership.  He made it clear that guys can't get time off for most reasons, there are no substitutes, and people are getting worked very hard.

Paniolo_man Wrote:
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> I'm not exactly working on a loose budget here,
> that's why I'm sweating a little over this.

As you should, since you must have gotten a reasonable deal to travel during the holiday season. So cancel --> rebook to travel another time is probably not an option for you?

I don't need to know the details, but if you had planned a circle trip (train + air) instead of just a roundtrip on Amtrak, cancelling could be an issue on the airlines side.

What a time to go on strike if it happens, right in the middle of Peak Season! It be nice if they can agree on the issues easily and avoid it and have everything back to normal, but it never works that way, but hopefully they don't go the MLB Route, that route is crap, they were locked out from now till late March this year, and the worse was going on strike in the middle of the season in 94 and a judge ordered them back in April of 95 and pissed a bunch of fans off that a lot, including me, boycotted that year! 

cchan006 Wrote:
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> Paniolo_man Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm not exactly working on a loose budget here,
> > that's why I'm sweating a little over this.
>
> As you should, since you must have gotten a
> reasonable deal to travel during the holiday
> season. So cancel --> rebook to travel another
> time is probably not an option for you?
>
> I don't need to know the details, but if you had
> planned a circle trip (train + air) instead of
> just a roundtrip on Amtrak, cancelling could be an
> issue on the airlines side.

Without revealing too many details, I'm flying out for a family event that can't be rescheduled and taking #6 back to SLC.

Another point-- there is not a thing in the world that says the unions have to strike at the end of the 30-day cooling off period. They are free to engage in "self help" at that point, but could certainly wait for better leverage or some last-minute talks to avoid a strike. And there are other methods of self-help that are not a full-on walkout.

Posted from Android

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
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> Another point-- there is not a thing in the world
> that says the unions have to strike at the end of
> the 30-day cooling off period. They are free to
> engage in "self help" at that point, but could
> certainly wait for better leverage or some
> last-minute talks to avoid a strike. And there are
> other methods of self-help that are not a full-on
> walkout.
>
> Posted from Android

Exactly.  That's when they CAN strike, not when they will strike.  If the unions can not come to an agreement, and they truly feel that a Congressional cram down is coming, why not wait and take "self help" were it will have the greatest impact.  The House of Representatives breaks for the year on 12/15.  The Senate breaks on 12/21.  If a strike happens, only a literal "Act of Congress" gets them back to work.  So hold off - don't strike until 12/22 or 12/23. Of better yet, don't come back from the Christmas "shut down".    Force a special session of Congress. Ensure that the network in fact shuts down for a few days.  Make the country feel your pain.  If you (the unions) are truly serious about changing the industry for generations to come, you have to use your leverage to its fullest extent regardless of the immediate negative results that are sure to happen.