Catherwood LibraryILR School

President George W. Bush intervened on Wednesday to try and resolve stalled contract talks between Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, and eight of its unions. Bush appointed a special panel, a Presidential Emergency Board, to investigate sticking points in negotiations between railroad management and unions representing 7,000 workers, or half of Amtrak's unionized work force. The emergency board defers for 60 days any threat of a strike that could have begun December 1 and interrupted service for 70,000 daily Amtrak passengers and commuter operations in New York and elsewhere. However, a walkout was not expected because labor groups and Amtrak anticipated Bush would step in.