Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, December 13 Rail Workers who are represented by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) will hold rallies in at least 12 cities across the United States calling for solidarity with rail workers.

The rallies come after an intense round of negotiations with the rail industry led to the majority of union-represented rail workers authorizing a strike which had been set to start as early as December 9. The strike was prevented when President Joe Biden, along with the U.S. House and Senate, passed union-busting legislation imposing the contract on the rail workers.

While the SMART union had already reached a contract agreement, they have language in their contract that would have allowed them to honor the picket lines of the four other rail unions which represent the majority of the rail workers. Those four unions had voted not to accept the contract offer and to strike instead. Had the strike happened it would have meant hundreds of thousands of rail workers on strike, which could have cost rail companies as much as $2 billion a day. One of the main issues the rail workers had decided to strike over was a demand for paid sick days, of which they currently get zero.

Rail workers will rally Tuesday in Denver CO, Galesburg IL, Des Moines IA, Royal Oaks MI, Minneapolis and Duluth MN, Sparks NV, Santa Fe NM, Columbus OH, Salt Lake City UT, Cheyenne WY, and on the U.S. capitol grounds in Washington DC.

SMART says that all union members and labor supporters are encouraged to attend, wear their union colors to show support, and stand in solidarity with the rail workers.

#MinneapolisMN #RailWorkers