A union strike against Amtrak could begin as early as Oct. 29, and it is not certain if the operation of Illinois Amtrak routes, including the Illini Route from Carbondale to Chicago, will be affected.

Steven Taub, Amtrak Public Affairs spokesperson in Washington, D. C., said there is no way of knowing what might happen in the event of a strike by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees. The BMWE represents workers who build and maintain Amtrak railroad tracks, buildings and bridges.

Marc Magliari, Amtrak media relations director in Chicago, also expressed uncertainty as to how a strike would affect Illinois Amtrak routes.

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It is impossible to predict (what will happen), he said.

Magliari said some alternatives are being considered, but nothing has been decided because the opportunity for a strike is still a week away.

We’ve been looking at ways to accommodate passengers, but we have no plans to announce at this time, he said. We’ll consider whatever means are available to us.

SIUC Chancellor Don Beggs said the University is keeping an eye on the situation because the strike could occur around fall break.

We are in watching mode right now, he said. The greatest concern we have would be for people to have alternatives for travel, and I suspect a lot of commercial enterprises, like buses and other groups, are looking at that.

Contract talks between Amtrak and the BMWE have been open since November 1994. The negotiations have been in mediation since December 1995. The BMWE is asking for wages comparable to those paid to BMWE members on freight railroads.

In August, President Bill Clinton imposed a 60-day cooling-off period and appointed a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve the dispute.

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On Sunday Oct. 19, Amtrak and BMWE members agreed to a week-long period to cool off. The break will give the two parties time to reach an agreement or give Congress time to consider options for a settlement.

Taub said the cooling off period will allow possible commuter and Amtrak contingency plans in the East to be worked out.

Taub said the BMWE made an agreement that a strike would not affect Chicago Metra commuter services, but Amtrak routes are not guaranteed to remain operational.

The Metra commuter trains travel inbound and outbound from Chicago and northeastern Illinois. Because BMWE employees control which trains travel in and out of Union Station, Metra officials were not certain their trains could continue to operate.

Tom Miller, a Metra representative from Chicago, said Metra initiated the agreement in the interest of their daily commuters.

Our 3,000 commuters could have been affected, he said. Amtrak doesn’t operate any of our trains, but we do have four lines running in and out of Union Station.

They (BMWE) assured us that their dispute is with Amtrak and not with Metra.

Frank Malone, Metra media relations director in Chicago, said a meeting last week in Washington, D. C., with the BMWE and Metra officials resulted in a agreement to keep Chicago Metra trains running.

We have an assurance that it (a strike) will not affect commuter service, he said. I don’t know if that means they won’t strike in Chicago, but there is an assurance to Metra that service won’t be affected.

Taub said that although there is an agreement with Chicago, cities in the northeast corridor between Washington, D. C., and Boston are still trying to design alternatives.

We are still meeting with commuter railroads in the East as to how those will work, he said.

Carbondale City Manager Jeff Doherty said he does not think a strike will likely affect the city.

What we were told by Amtrak people is that if there was a strike, in 24 to 48 hours, the president would order the employees back to work, he said.

Edna Madera, a freshman transfer student in art and metalsmithing from Franklin Park, said she planned on riding the train home for fall break, but she now is considering other options.

Hopefully (if the strike affects the train) I can find a ride with a friend, but everyone is pretty much full with passengers, she said. Otherwise, I’ll end up staying here, which I really don’t want to do.