I think a reason Congress is willing to impose a contract on railroad workers is that they genuinely can make a credible threat against the broader economy in a

I think a reason Congress is willing to impose a contract on railroad workers is that they genuinely can make a credible threat against the broader economy in a way that airline pilots can't. Just to name a single sector, a railroad strike could jeopardize around 70% of coal electrical production, which makes up 20% of electrical generation in the country. While industrial action by pilots would be devastating for a few industries, the railroads really could hurt large portions of the entire economy. I tend to think UPS is a lot more like pilots than railroad workers, especially since there are alternatives if you really do need to ship something right away.