Kevin Dempsey, the president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has written to congressional leaders urging Congress to pass legislation ensuring that the USA's freight rail system remains fully operational.
Last year, US railroads hauled more than 15 million carloads of steel and the raw materials needed to produce steel.
Dempsey referred to the railroad system as 'an indispensable necessity for the health and survival' of the USA's domestic steel industry. He said that a functional freight railroad system was critical to ensuring that the American steel industry can serve its customers effectively and efficiently.
"The potential for significant disruption in the critical national rail system would have serious consequences for the domestic steel industry and the entire US economy."
Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
According to Dempsey, "The potential for significant disruption in the critical national rail system would have serious consequences for the domestic steel industry and the entire US economy. The recent rejection of the agreement reached between the railroads and the negotiators for rail labour organisations in September has raised concerns that a harmful interruption to the rail system may occur as soon as early next week. While a voluntary agreement among all parties to the ongoing rail negotiations is clearly the best outcome, congressional action is necessary to ensure that our nation's freight rail system remains operational."
Dempsey is urging Congress to take the necessary legislative action to ensure that the rail system remains fully operational.