Freight train workers are fed up.

One conductor said he nearly missed his wife’s funeral because he couldn’t get time off. An engineer said he was put on a disciplinary path after having to stay home to fix a broken water heater. Other freight train workers blamed the industry’s on-call, 24/7 scheduling requirements for health problems and divorces — a lifestyle they said had turned one of the best-paying blue-collar jobs in the country into one marred by misery and neglect.

After years of cutbacks and service tumult, the country’s freight rail workers are pushing to strike, which could further clog supply chain networks and amp up political heat on a White House already under the microscope for economic woes. The Biden administration said Friday it will appoint a three-person commission to stave off what would be the first strike by freight rail workers in 30 years. Rail companies say that they are offering salary increases to help keep their workers among the highest paid and working on making their systems more consistent.

NBC News talked to more than 10 current and former workers about the conditions on the rails. All of the current workers said they supported a stoppage.

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rail-workers-push-to-strike-here-s-why-they-re-angry/ar-AAZJXBA