AAR Statement in Response to Appointment of Presidential Emergency Board
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 6, 2011 – The Association of American Railroads today issued the following statement from AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger in response to President Obama’s appointment of a Presidential Emergency Board to arbitrate national rail labor negotiations.
“The nation’s freight railroads are pleased the President has appointed a Presidential Emergency Board, preventing a potential national rail strike at a time when America’s already fragile economic recovery can least afford it. We are hopeful the parties will swiftly reach an agreement, particularly given that 30 percent of the nation’s rail labor workforce has already reached a highly generous pattern agreement with the railroads.
“Now is not the time, given so many Americans already are out of work, to undermine freight rail’s vital role in the nation’s economic recovery, or the industry’s efforts to hire as many as 15,000 people this year.”
For more information contact: Patricia Reilly, preilly@aar.org 202-639-2100 or Holly Arthur, harthur@aar.org, 202-639-2344.
About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org. Follow us on Twitter: AAR_FreightRail or Facebook: www.facebook.com/freightrail.
“The nation’s freight railroads are pleased the President has appointed a Presidential Emergency Board, preventing a potential national rail strike at a time when America’s already fragile economic recovery can least afford it. We are hopeful the parties will swiftly reach an agreement, particularly given that 30 percent of the nation’s rail labor workforce has already reached a highly generous pattern agreement with the railroads.
“Now is not the time, given so many Americans already are out of work, to undermine freight rail’s vital role in the nation’s economic recovery, or the industry’s efforts to hire as many as 15,000 people this year.”
For more information contact: Patricia Reilly, preilly@aar.org 202-639-2100 or Holly Arthur, harthur@aar.org, 202-639-2344.
About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org. Follow us on Twitter: AAR_FreightRail or Facebook: www.facebook.com/freightrail.