President George W. Bush intervened on Wednesday to prevent any possibility of a near-term strike by workers on the heavily traveled Metro-North commuter rail line serving New York, the White House said. Bush appointed a special board to address issues that have prevented 3,400 machinists and other trade workers from reaching a new contract after four years of negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
See "White House Steps Into Rail Labor Dispute in NY", Reuters, The New York Times, December 5, 2006