Amtrak on Monday said it had canceled three long-distance train routes in advance of a looming railroad union strike that is threatening to hobble the nation's economy. The rail line said it was phasing in additional schedule "adjustments" as needed. Freight rail workers are threatening to strike for higher pay, more generous paid leave and a renegotiation of strict attendance policies and broader working conditions. A national rail strike "would be an economic disaster — freezing the flow of goods, emptying shelves, shuttering workplaces and raising prices for families and businesses alike," Suzanne Clark, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Monday. The Association of American Railroads trade group has estimated that shutting down the railroads would cost the economy $2 billion a day.

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