Will the railroad strike affect our Alaska cruise?

[Erma56]

We are booked for an Alaska cruise toward the end of August on Princess…. We’re traveling with 18 family members from four generations.  My nephew sent me the article attached about a railroad strike coming up soon in Skagway! We have been to Skagway four times and rode the train every time. We don’t want to miss it! Now I have heard the ship might cancel Skagway altogether if the trains won’t be running. Should we rebook for 2024? Will the ship still go to Skagway?

https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/white-pass-employees-to-begin-strike-vote

Edited June 27, 2023 by Erma56

[wolfie11]

By the time they can go on strike after mediation and a cooling off period, the season may be mostly over.

Edited June 27, 2023 by wolfie11

[Erma56]

From the article it looks like they could strike as early as August 1st. That’s 2 ½ months from Skagway’s last ship for the summer.

[GTJ]

53 minutes ago, Erma56 said:

Now I have heard the ship might cancel Skagway altogether if the trains won’t be running.

Do you have a source for that news? It would seem to be a scheduling nightmare for all the lines to reschedule to other ports (though "day at sea" is their usual fallback). But the White Pass Route also controls the docks in Skagway, so there could be significant effects for a strike. Maybe this is a test of Carnival?

[cw2go]

18 hours ago, GTJ said:

Do you have a source for that news? It would seem to be a scheduling nightmare for all the lines to reschedule to other ports (though "day at sea" is their usual fallback). But the White Pass Route also controls the docks in Skagway, so there could be significant effects for a strike. Maybe this is a test of Carnival?

The op has an attached link to the source? Or are you asking for something else? 

 

Patty 

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, cw2go said:

The op has an attached link to the source? Or are you asking for something else?

The cited article referred to the possibility of railroad employees going on strike, not the possibility that the cruise vessel to be traveled upon by the posting individual would "cancel Skagway altogether if the trains won’t be running." It would seem to be a scheduling nightmare were all the vessels to cancel the call in Skagway. Thus, in having written, "I have heard . . . ," I would like to know from whom this was heard. A different news report? A railroad union member? Someone else?

[cw2go]

9 hours ago, GTJ said:

The cited article referred to the possibility of railroad employees going on strike, not the possibility that the cruise vessel to be traveled upon by the posting individual would "cancel Skagway altogether if the trains won’t be running." It would seem to be a scheduling nightmare were all the vessels to cancel the call in Skagway. Thus, in having written, "I have heard . . . ," I would like to know from whom this was heard. A different news report? A railroad union member? Someone else?

 

Ohhhh sorry! I see now. 

 

Patty

[Coral]

I think it would be too difficult for lines to switch ports. Also it would be difficult to have 18 people re-schedule their vacations. I would follow the news and if they do go on strike, look at booking Chilkoot and do the bus for a different experience. I have done both and they both are good.

[naturelovergirl]

I agree @Coral

We plan to watch the news about it all- but I’m not expecting for the port to be changed for our cruise

 

We already have alternate plans in our back pocket in case of the strike… I’m hoping we will still be able to experience the train, but we will know what we will do if it is impossible

[Coral]

48 minutes ago, naturelovergirl said:

I agree @Coral

We plan to watch the news about it all- but I’m not expecting for the port to be changed for our cruise

 

We already have alternate plans in our back pocket in case of the strike… I’m hoping we will still be able to experience the train, but we will know what we will do if it is impossible

I hope you enjoy the train as well!

[naturelovergirl]

Here is a slightly longer article about the potential of a strike

 

https://www.ktoo.org/2023/06/28/amid-busy-tourist-season-workers-on-skagways-white-pass-railway-are-voting-on-a-possible-strike/

 

[johnintx]

We went on our first cruise last year and stopped in Skagway. We took a bus trip to Carcross. Incredible scenery both ways. The tour guide was excellent.

 

We're going back in September. My wife wants to ride the train, and we've already booked it through the cruise line. Hopefully, this will be settled by then.

 

In the event of a railway strike, I don't expect the cruise lines to skip Skagway. There are still plenty of other excursions. I would expect the bus trips to become more full, though.

Edited June 29, 2023 by johnintx

[GTJ]

16 hours ago, naturelovergirl said:

Here is a slightly longer article about the potential of a strike [cite]

An informative article. I note the union chair's assertion, "Having three people on board a train is critical when you’re carrying 600-plus guests on board." In New York City, a subway train, with ten cars each carrying up to 280 passengers each, or a total of 2,800, is operated with a two-person crew: motorman and conductor. That a White Pass Route train requires a three-person crew, based on it carrying less than one-quarter the number of passengers on a New York City train, is not a good argument. The union needs to make a good argument on some other basis, that the operation of the White Pass Route train is distinct enough from the operations of railroads that use two-person crews, that the White Pass Route requires a brakeman as part of a three-person crew.

[wolfie11]

Comparing the New York subway to the White Pass is like comparing a freeway to driving over a 10,000 foot mountain pass on a two lane dirt road.  If the train had to be evacuated, in many places you would be on a sheer cliff.  Rocks roll onto the tracks, storms can blow up quickly, and passengers can have medical emergencies.  I would think three would be a minimum safe number.

[GTJ]

4 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

 I would think three would be a minimum safe number.

It could be that operating conditions require a larger crew size. My comment was related to the union's claim that the number of passengers, by itself, is reason to have a three-person crew.

 

Federal Railroad Administration regulations require a two-person operating crew, and proposed rulemaking would reduce that requirement in some cases to a one-person operating crew. See 87 Fed. Reg. 45,564 (July 28, 2022), http://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2021-0032-0001. There is controversy. See, e.g., http://www.wvpublic.org/railroads-slow-down-push-to-reduce-train-crew-sizes-but-it-may-not-last.But I do not believe that there is any serious discussion about increasing mimimum crew size to three persons, and to mandate a minimum three-person crew size for one particular railroad would require special conditions not existing on other railroads. Several American passenger trains operate in mountainous territory, all with similar operating conditions. Certainly the specific conditions in this region of Alaska differ from conditions in New York City, yet there are distinct hazards in New York City that are arguably more dangerous (e.g., the hazard of a live third rail). It is difficult to imagine that the White Pass Route is so distinct and dangerous as to require greater minimum crew size.

[SSAtlantic]

Is there any update on the possible strike?

[Coral]

56 minutes ago, SSAtlantic said:

Is there any update on the possible strike?

Nope:

 

https://www.yukon-news.com/local-news/job-action-on-the-table-for-trainmen-at-white-pass-railroad/ 

 

 

[naturelovergirl]

Here is the latest news

 

https://skagwaynews.com/2023/07/06/railroad-brakemen-conductors-and-engineers-authorize-leaders-to-call-strike/

NOTE

There are many steps which must happen (including a 30-day cooling off period if mediation breaks down) before a possible strike takes place

[vampiress]

i have train and bus tour booked with chilkoot charters, and they said they hope the strike doesn't happen, but if it does, they will either cancel or offer t switch to an all bus version of tour.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, vampiress said:

i have train and bus tour booked with chilkoot charters, and they said they hope the strike doesn't happen, but if it does, they will either cancel or offer t switch to an all bus version of tour.

Good plan. Chilkoot is a solid company! Great experiences with them.

[Panhandle Couple]

On 6/26/2023 at 7:55 PM, GTJ said:

Do you have a source for that news? It would seem to be a scheduling nightmare for all the lines to reschedule to other ports (though "day at sea" is their usual fallback). But the White Pass Route also controls the docks in Skagway, so there could be significant effects for a strike. Maybe this is a test of Carnival?

No, White Pass Railway (aka Carnival) long term dock lease ended earlier this year.  The City of Skagway now controls all 4 docks there, and some adjacent property.

 

[cruising2hawaii]

They haven't even begun the 30 day cooling off period, so no strike possible before late August at the earliest. They have to get released from mediation first, which they haven't. Trains are running as scheduled. 

[dave_k58]

On 6/26/2023 at 6:59 PM, Erma56 said:

We are booked for an Alaska cruise toward the end of August on Princess…. We’re traveling with 18 family members from four generations.  My nephew sent me the article attached about a railroad strike coming up soon in Skagway! We have been to Skagway four times and rode the train every time. We don’t want to miss it! Now I have heard the ship might cancel Skagway altogether if the trains won’t be running. Should we rebook for 2024? Will the ship still go to Skagway?

https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/white-pass-employees-to-begin-strike-vote

Are you on the Crown on Aug 25? We are on that and were really looking forward to the train excursion

[naturelovergirl]

This is the latest news... crossing fingers... sounds promising.

 

https://skagwaynews.com/2023/07/25/wpyr-and-union-smart-td-reach-tentative-agreement/

 

[Cherful59]

On 7/25/2023 at 7:44 PM, naturelovergirl said:

This is the latest news... crossing fingers... sounds promising.

 

https://skagwaynews.com/2023/07/25/wpyr-and-union-smart-td-reach-tentative-agreement/

 

Yes it does.  Thank you or posting this.  I cruise on August 18th and will be in Skagway a few days later.  Of course this is the excursion I have booked.