The Plan To Move The Dispute Over The Rail Contract Includes Increases Of 24 .

A plan to help advance rail contract negotiations contains a proposal for raises and bonuses. The plan was presented by a board appointed by President Biden in an attempt to prevent a strike. The proposal calls for 115,000 railroad workers to receive 24 percent raises and thousands of dollars in bonuses. The railroads and unions will include those recommendations in a new round of negotiations next month. A BNSF freight train with 76 container cars and FedEx cargo trailers travels from Seattle to points east. ( (Photo by William Campbell/Getty Images) / Getty Images) Federal law would allow a strike or lockout if the two sides fail to agree on a new deal by mid-September. UNION PACIFIC’S SECOND-QUARTER PROFITS IMPROVE AS RAIL DELAYS DECREASE Congress is expected to step in at this point to keep the supply chain moving. A rail strike could devastate businesses that rely on Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and other major freight railroads to deliver raw materials and ship their products. A Union Pacific train travels through Union, Neb. ((AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File) / AP Newsroom) The report was distributed to the parties on Tuesday and The Associated Press obtained a copy of it, but the railroads and unions did not immediately comment on any details. The railroads entered the President’s Emergency Council process a month ago away from the 12 participating unions. BIDEN CELEBRATES AMTRAK’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH RAILWAY EXPANSION PLANS A total of 12 unions are involved and are seeking a 31% increase over five years, while the railways offered only 17% in compound increases. FILE- A BNSF rail terminal worker watches the departure of a freight train, June 15, 2021, in Galesburg, Ill. The special council appointed by President Biden to intervene in the deadlocked rail contract talks submitted its recommendations to ((AP Photo /Shafkat Anowar, File) / AP Newsroom) Unions are also concerned about rising health care costs in a new contract. In addition to raising wages and bonuses, the report recommends adding an extra day of paid leave each year and keeping the same health insurance plan, but having workers shoulder a larger share of the cost. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS Railroad workers have gone without a raise since 2019. The Associated Press contributed to this report.