Rail companies and labor unions have reached stalemate over paid sick leave, raising the prospects of a worker strike in coming months. With harvest just over halfway complete, the threat of a rail strike could not come at a worse time.
Railroads transport 1.5 million carloads of grain each year according to the Association of American Railroads. These carloads account for 25% of all U.S. grain transport, and the rail share for grain export movements is closer to 40%.
Other transport sources could pick up some slack, but with low water levels on the Mississippi already significantly…
