Don’t expect Congress to reauthorize either the Federal Railroad Administration or the Surface Transportation Board any time soon.
That’s the word from a key congressional aide.
Glenn Scammel, railroad counsel to the House Ground Transportation Subcommittee, made the comments during a July 23 speech to transportation reporters and lobbyists at the National Press Club. Authorization for both agencies expired last year. While Congress did not pass reauthorization legislation, it did approve continued funding for both agencies.
“The likelihood of reauthorizing the STB anytime soon is remote,” Scammel said, because of differences between railroads and unions over what happens to labor contracts during railroad mergers.
Current law allows merged railroads to abolish collective bargaining agreements and impose new job assignments and work rules, subject to binding arbitration.
During legislative negotiations earlier this year, railroads said they were willing to give up the right to abolish labor contracts in any future mergers. They also agreed to set a six-year time limit on breaking contracts at railroads that have already merged.
Negotiations broke down because unions wanted an end to the so-called “cram-down” provision altogether, Scammel said.
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