WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order creating an emergency board to help resolve disputes between major freight rail carriers and their unions, in a move that could help loosen up some supply chain constraints.
The order came ahead of a deadline next week to intervene in nationwide U.S. railroad labor talks covering 115,000 workers, or open the door to a potential strike or lockout that could threaten an already-fragile economy and choke supplies of food and fuel.
If the president had not created the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) before 12:01 a.m. EDT on Monday, the railroads and unions could have opted for operational shutdowns or strikes, respectively.
The board “will provide a structure for workers and management to resolve their disagreements. The Board will investigate the dispute and, within 30 days of its establishment, deliver a report recommending how the dispute should be resolved,” the White House said.
Talks between major freight railroads, including Union Pacific and Berkshire Hathaway -owned BNSF, and unions representing their workers have dragged out more than two years.
(Reporting by Chris Sanders; Editing by Leslie Adler and Chizu Nomiyama)
