°®¶¹´«Ã½

OMAHA, Neb. — The head of the nation’s largest railroad union says the report designed to help resolve stalled contract talks with freight railroads doesn’t do enough to address concerns about working conditions, even though it suggests 24% raises.

OMAHA, Neb. — The major freight railroads signaled they’re ready to negotiate a new deal with their workers based on a presidential report that calls for 24% raises, but the 12 unions involved in the stalled talks covering 115,000 workers still haven’t commented on the recommendations.

Efforts by national freight rail carriers to increase efficiency are having the opposite effect, a union official said July 12. Demoralized workers are leaving the industry, causing delays and damage to the national supply chain, said Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.

The White House is monitoring labor talks in the logistics industry as unions representing 115,000 rail workers and 22,000 West Coast dockworkers negotiate fresh contracts, but won’t get directly involved in either bargaining process now, its supply chain envoy said.

SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico is highlighting its support for proposals that would route an international rail line through its Santa Teresa port of entry, capitalizing on Mexico’s unease with disruptions along the Texas portion of the U.S. border with Mexico.

Labor unions representing about 100,000 U.S. railroad workers say contract negotiations have broken down after more than two years of talks with several carriers.

LOS ANGELES — Thieves have been raiding cargo containers aboard trains nearing downtown Los Angeles for months, taking packages belonging to people across the U.S. and leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded boxes.

In an effort to boost multimodal freight transportation, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced $2.5 million in awards to improve at-grade rail crossings.

OMAHA, Neb. — Even as railroads are operating longer freight trains that sometimes stretch for miles, the companies have drastically reduced staffing levels, prompting unions to warn that moves meant to increase profits could endanger safety and even result in disasters.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the availability of $87 million for port and rail improvements in an effort to enhance the state’s trade corridors,