<p>Members of a key rail union voted to reject a tentative contract agreement negotiated by the&nbsp;<a class="person-popover__link" href="https://thehill.com/people/biden/" _mce_href="https://thehill.com/people/biden/">Biden&nbsp;</a>administration, raising the risk of a strike that would shut down the nation’s railroads.&nbsp;</p> <p>Train and engine workers at the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’s transportation division (SMART-TD) narrowly voted down the deal, the union&nbsp;<a href="https://smart-union.org/split-decision-unions-for-engineers-and-conductors-take-different-routes-in-freight-rail-contract-ratification-vote/" _mce_href="https://smart-union.org/split-decision-unions-for-engineers-and-conductors-take-different-routes-in-freight-rail-contract-ratification-vote/">announced Monday</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>The vote sets the stage for a walkout in early December, in the middle of the holiday shopping season that demands increased shipping volume. Railroads transport around one-third of U.S. freight, including large amounts of food, packaged goods, fuel and car parts that can’t be shipped by other means.&nbsp;</p> <p>“This can all be settled through negotiations and without a strike,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said in a statement. “A settlement would be in the best interests of the workers, the railroads, shippers and the American people.”</p> <p>Rail workers are pushing for better pay, more reliable schedules, stronger safety standards and the ability to take time off if they are sick or have a doctor’s appointment.</p>