National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.738; Month Ago: $4.033; Year Ago: $3.181. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $5.029; Month Ago: $5.120; Year Ago: $3.295.

The major freight railroads appear unwilling to give track maintenance workers much more than they received in the initial contract they rejected last week, increasing the chances of a strike. The railroads took the unusual step of issuing a statement late Wednesday rejecting the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union’s latest request to add paid sick time on top of the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses they received in the first five-year deal. Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said Thursday that he thinks the main reason the BMWED rejected its initial contract last week was that the details of improved expense reimbursement in the deal were still being negotiated at Union Pacific while workers were voting. So it wasn’t clear exactly what those workers would receive for their travel expenses when they go on the road to repair tracks. Six of the 12 railroad unions that represent 115,000 workers nationwide have approved their tentative agreements with the railroads so far, but all of them have to ratify their contracts to avoid a strike.

Canada’s freight rail network could come to a grinding halt this week, inflicting a huge economic toll after the country’s two largest railroad operators on Sunday issued lockout notices to the Teamsters union that represents nearly 10,000 workers. Failing last-minute deals, both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City plan to lock out workers from the early hours of Thursday. It marks the first time that the country has faced a simultaneous labor stoppage at the railroad firms as they normally negotiate their labor agreements in alternate years. The stoppages could cripple the shipment of food grains, beans, potash, coal and timber which form a large part of Canada’s exports, while also impacting shipments ranging from petroleum products to chemicals and cars.