Biden and labor leaders have asked Congress to step in before the Dec. 9 deadline – lawmakers have the power to impose contract terms on workers
As Biden noted, a rail strike would ‘devastate our economy,’ and could put up to 765,000 out of work.
A September tentative deal offered a 24 percent pay raise for rail workers, health care benefits and medical leave
Eight rail unions have ratified their deals, but four rail unions are back at the negotiating table after rejecting their deals with the railroads
President Biden on Monday demanded Congress take action to avert a looming rail strike that could trigger major disruptions in the nation’s supply chain in the height of holiday shopping season.
With lawmakers returning to Capitol Hill for a brief three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Biden demanded they approve the tentative agreement between rail workers and operators, negotiated in September.
As Biden noted, a rail strike would ‘devastate our economy,’ and could put up to 765,000 out of work. The president noted that it could even affect the drinking water supply and livestock and agriculture. Businesses the nation over could be forced to shut their doors without access to the supplies they need, and the U.S. economy could lose out on $2 billion per day.
Commuter railroads and Amtrak would also be affected as they often use tracks owned by freight railroads.
The September tentative deal offered a 24 percent pay raise for rail workers, health care benefits and medical leave. Eight rail unions have ratified their deals, but four rail unions are back at the negotiating table after rejecting their deals with the railroads.
BIden called on Congress to ‘set aside politics and partisan division and deliver for the American people. Congress should get this bill to my desk well in advance of December 9th so we can avoid disruption.’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded immediately to say the House would take up a bill to avert the possible strike this week.
‘We must recognize that railroads have been selling out to Wall Street to boost their bottom lines, making obscene profits while demanding more and more from railroad workers,’ she said in a statement.
‘We are reluctant to bypass the standard ratification process for the Tentative Agreement — but we must act to prevent a catastrophic nationwide rail strike.’
Pelosi said the House would take up a bill adopting the tentative agreement with ‘no poison pills or changes to the negotiated terms.’
h/t Coastie Patriot