OMAHA, Neb. — The contract imposed on railroad workers last fall didn’t resolve their quality-of-life issues, but already this year there are indications the major freight railroads are starting to address some of their concerns.

Union Pacific says it will stop imposing temporary limits on certain businesses’ shipments while it reviews the policy that federal regulators and shippers criticized at a hearing in mid-December.

Federal regulators and shippers are questioning Union Pacific’s decision to temporarily limit some businesses’ shipments as part of its effort to clear up congestion across the railroad.

Railroad workers are continuing their demand for paid sick days. The Sheet Metal, Air, Rail Transportation Union, or SMART, held an informational picket near the rail yard on Rice’s Point on the afternoon of Dec. 13.

U.S. railroads have begun curtailing shipments of hazardous chemicals ahead of a potential nationwide strike by workers, according to a major trade group representing oil refiners and petrochemical companies.

With a Dec. 9 deadline looming to reach an agreement on a nationwide freight rail contract, President Joe Biden is asking Congress to intervene in the dispute, which threatens to severely damage the U.S. economy.

Railroad engineers accepted their deal with the railroads that will deliver 24% raises but conductors rejected the contract, casting more doubt on whether the industry will be able to resolve the labor dispute before December’s deadline.

A second railroad union rejected its deal with the major U.S. freight railroads on Oct. 26, reflecting workers’ increasing frustration with the lack of paid sick time in the industry and adding to concerns about the possibility of a strike next month that could cripple the economy.

OMAHA, Neb. — A last-minute deal prevented a railroad strike for now, but many rail workers remain unhappy with working conditions, including some who protested outside their workplaces Sept. 21 ahead of votes to approve the new contracts.

The announcement of a tentative rail labor agreement was viewed as a positive sign by senior policymakers on Capitol Hill on Sept. 15.