A nationwide strike is looming.

UPDATE: The strike has been averted after a tentative deal was reached between unions and railroad operators.

Amtrak services are being canceled and Northstar train operations may see disruptions due to a possible nationwide strike by railroad workers.

The Northstar Commuter Rail service, which is operated under contract by BNSF, could have its services suspended as early as Friday, Sept. 16.

"Discussions between the railroads and unions are ongoing and we are hopeful a settlement will be reached before service is impacted," Metro Transit said in a statement Wednesday. 

Metro Transit announced it is planning to provide replacement buses on Friday if the rail service is suspended. Replacement buses would depart Northstar stations at the same time as scheduled rail departures.

A Metro Transit spokesperson tells Bring Me The News that the Green and Blue line light rail services will not be impacted by this looming strike.

Metro Transit adds the service will provide updates through Rider Alerts on its website.

Additionally, Amtrak services will also be impacted through St. Paul. It was announced Wednesday afternoon that all of Amtrak's long-distance trains are canceled as of Thursday. 

This will impact Empire Builder journeys between St. Paul and Chicago and St. Paul and Seattle/Portland.

Reuters reports contract negotiations between railways — that includes BNSF, Union Pacific and CSX — and unions that represent around 115,000 workers stalled this summer after more than two years of ongoing talks. If a settlement isn't reached by Friday, a massive movement in strikes, employer lockouts and congressional interventions could ensue.

The strike could happen due to a disagreement between management and labor over sick time and penalties for missing work, the Washington Post reported. 

One issue that's preventing any sort of agreement between the two sides is a points-based attendance policy that unions say the largest carriers use to penalize workers for going to routine doctor's visits or attending family emergencies. The highest penalties involve termination.

Railroad shutdowns would cost the country around $2 billion per day in output and require thousands of long-haul trucks daily to deliver shipments diverted from rail services, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The association says almost 40% of the nation's long-distance freight ton-miles move on rail, which is more than any other mode of transportation.

The White House says it is doing what it can to try and maintain shipments that involve critical resources, such as food, drinking water and electricity, Politico reports.

The AAR says that the bargaining process is governed by the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which encourages parties to settle disputes without disruption to national rail service.

If an agreement can't be reached, it would mark the first of its kind in about three decades.

In a statement to BNSF said if an agreement is not reached, it would accept the recommendations put forward by President Joe Biden's Presidential Emergency Board, which would provide 24% pay increases for workers by 2024, at the end of which the average rail worker would earn $110,000.

It says it has reached "tentative agreements" with 9 of the 12 unions involved, but that all 12 are required to avert a strike.

But ICIS reports that workers are not all on board with the PEB recommendations, arguing it doesn't do enough to address quality of life issues such as scheduling, paid time off, and attendance policies. 

In a joint statement, Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) said they were informed last week of the possible lockout, calling it "more than corporate extortion."

"Our Unions remain at the bargaining table and have given the rail carriers a proposal that we would be willing to submit to our members for ratification, but it is the rail carriers that refuse to reach an acceptable agreement. In fact, it was abundantly clear from our negotiations over the past few days that the railroads show no intentions of reaching an agreement with our Unions," the unions said.

The unions accuse the railroads of using shippers, consumers and the supply chain as "pawns" in an effort to get the unions to settle for something members would never accept.

"Our Unions will not cave into these scare tactics, and Congress must not cave into what can only be described as corporate terrorism."

A staff member quickly extinguished the blaze.

The shooting happened around 8:40 p.m., a little bit north of Moore Lake.

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The end of an era on St. Paul's North End.

Mohamed Selim could avoid prison time under the proposed deal.

The strike ends for some Wednesday evening and others Thursday morning.

A nationwide strike is looming.

Minneapolis Public Schools said the group was confronted and left without incident.

Health officials are warning about rabies after an incident last week in Maddock, North Dakota.

Police say the 61-year-old woman was forced to drive to Minneapolis.

Police say the girls also hit someone in the parking lot.

More than 400 mental health workers are participating in the unionized strike on Tuesday.

Amtrak says the individual was trespassing on railway property.

Service is unavailable through Tuesday.

Gov. Tim Walz signed a transportation bill Saturday that included $10 million for an additional daily train.

The Chicago-bound train had a lengthy delay.

Unionized Metro Transit workers rejected a contract offer from the Metropolitan Council by a 94% vote.

The strike officially started at 7 a.m. Monday.

The pedestrian died after being hit by the train in Coon Rapids.

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