Freight rail strike threatens supply chains, prompting White House planning

washingtonpost.com ^ | September 13, 2022 | By Jeff Stein , Lauren Kaori Gurley and Tyler Pager

[ransomnote]

Federally mandated cooling-off period ends Friday, opening possibility of nationwide strike or lockout

A national railroad strike could derail critical deliveries of chlorine to wastewater treatment plants and coal to utility plants, among other potentially crippling disruptions, prompting senior White House aides on Tuesday to review contingency options for protecting the nation’s drinking water and energy supply.

White House aides are looking at how to ensure essential products carried by rail — such as food, energy and key health products — could still reach their destinations, even in the event of a strike. Senior officials have looked at how highways, ports and waterways can be used to offset any damage caused, while also talking to top officials in the shipping, freight and logistics industries.

President Biden was briefed on the matter Tuesday morning, after he called the carriers and unions on Monday to press them to accept a deal, a White House official said. Senior officials at the White House are now leading daily meetings with the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Energy and other top agencies about how to mitigate the impact. Biden aides in particular are working to ensure that hazardous materials carried by rail are safely transported without hurting workers. The White House actions were described by multiple people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning.

Administration officials have also been in regular contact with Greg Abel, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, while trying to find a solution.

MORE AT LINK:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/09/13/rail-strike-railroad-shutdown-biden/

 

[ransomnote]

ransomnote: In other words, the question buried in the article is, "Got drinking water? Fuel? Coal?"

The White House does seem to be stressing the critical nature of a railroad strike as if to justify nationalization. Here's a Washington Post article and a quote. Note they pretend Biden is 'on it' as he calls the railroads and presses for them to make a deal, but no mention of the fact that if a strike threatens water supply and heating, the gov can prevent a strike.

I have wondered if the gov would commandeer other shipping and transportation outlets to facilitate their efforts to become the distribution hub to those Americans who are most obedient.

ransomnote: Here's an old meme that may shed additional meaning to the proposed rail line strike scheduled (still) for September 16. The article above doesn't mention fuel prices, but the first part of the meme below, from Jan 2021, does discuss it.

[H/T TruthWillWin]

Here's the article about the strike I posted in the forum:

A possible rail strike this week could lead to significant interruptions and higher prices
poynter.org ^ | September 12, 2022 | Al Tompkins

Posted on 9/12/2022, 6:33:19 PM by ransomnote

 

[griffin]

Wait...

“and other top agencies..”

ROTFLMAO!!!

[laplata]

Biden will probably screw this up on purpose.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

Nah - they’ll reach an eleventh-hour agreement and the
Pest will pat them on the back for their perspecacity.

[ransomnote]

In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Q ~ Trust Trump's Plan ~ 09/12/22 Vol.424, Q Day 1778, Ymani Cricket wrote:

A comment on a post on TS regarding the possible (probable) rail strike leads me to believe this is planned, coordinated, and intended to nationalize railways (controlled economy)

Ultra-Mega-Nuclear-MAGA
@PatriotThomasDunn
·
3h

Replying to @PepeLivesMatter

"Totally out of the blue, I’ve been getting posts about nationalizing the railroads on my Facebook feed. This started two days ago. And now makes sense."

[SaveFerris]

(top agencies.)

Top Men.

TOP

MEN

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Secy of Transportation Peter Buttigieg, the son of a hardcore MARXIST, Joseph, will soon be singing “I’ve been jerking on the railroad, all the live-long day”.

[griffin]

ROTF!!

[ransomnote]

From carmakers to refiners, industries brace for rail strike
apnews.com ^ | 9/14/2022 | The Associated Press

Article Excerpt:

SNIP
___

"ENERGY

A strike could have a significant impact on the energy industry, and could hurt consumers who would likely end up paying more for gasoline, electricity and natural gas. Refineries might have to halt production if they can’t get the deliveries they need, or if they don’t have access to rail to ship gasoline.

No one wants to risk leaving flammable chemicals stranded on the railroad tracks if a strike occurs. That’s why railroads began curtailing shipments of hazardous materials on Monday to protect that dangerous cargo.

Roughly 300,000 barrels of crude oil move by rail each day, which could supply about two mid-size refineries, according to AFPM. And about 5 million barrels of propane, representing a third of U.S. consumption, are moved by rail monthly, the group said.

Roughly 70% of ethanol produced in the U.S. is shipped by rail, and ethanol accounts for about a tenth of U.S. gasoline volume, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. Nearly 75% of the coal moved to electric utilities in the first half of 2022 was moved by rail, the group said."

SNIP

 

[minnesota_bound]

FTA: prompting White House planning

This strike has been in the making for months.
What has Biden and that secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg been doing about it?

Nothing!!

[Nifster]

Exactly what I thought

[griffin]

Its going to be a long cold winter.

[Recovering_Democrat]

this deadline has been known for MONTHS.

Sleepy Joe’s bosses don’t care.

I guarantee you THEIR supply chain will not be broken.

[kaktuskid]

We tried nationalization during WW 1..didn’t work (which is why we didn’t do it during WW 2.)

And would the govt buy them or seize them (there is a little thing called eminent domain)..they are publicly traded companies. And two are based in Canada (CN and CP). Plus the 100s of short lines that are owned by various interests.

[Fresh Wind]

Never let a crisis go to waste. If you don’t have a crisis, then create one.

It is silly to suggest the White House hasn’t been planning for this, it’s just not Biden that’s doing the planning. Biden is not capable of planning the next five minutes.

And don’t assume that the planning or solutions will in any way benefit the country or its people.

[mad_as_he$$]

LOL.. Mayor Pete needs to be blamed and shamed for this strike! Destroy his future NOW; before he destroys any more of ours!

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

14. WW2. Govt planned to run the railroads if there was a strike, about 1944. My mother helped put together the operating manual for it. There is at least one copy of it, blue cover, in the National Archives at College Park, Md.

Supreme Court ruled against Truman/govt re taking over/ordering steel mill strikers back to work during the Korean War.

Mixed bag on court decisions,but a Presidential. State of Emergency order during a conflict, natural disaster, etc. today might confer such takeover powers to the president.

[from occupied ga]

But we have “White House planning” I feel better already

[AZJeep]

We are supposed to ditch all our cars and take trains.

[AZJeep]

P