President Joe Biden late Monday called on Congress to pass legislation immediately to adopt the tentative agreement between railroad workers and operators that was approved by labor and management negotiators in September “without any modifications or delay — to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown.”
Biden noted the deal “provides a historic 24% pay raise for rail workers. It provides improved health care benefits. And it provides the ability of operating craft workers to take unscheduled leave for medical needs,” adding that “since that time, the majority of the unions in the industry have voted to approve the deal.
Biden said a rail shutdown “would devastate our economy. Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down.”
According to Biden’s economic advisors, as many as 765,000 Americans — many union workers themselves — could be put out of work in the first two weeks alone.
Meanwhile, the advisors say communities could lose access to chemicals necessary to ensure clean drinking water. Farms and ranches across the country could be unable to feed their livestock.
“As a proud pro-labor president,” Biden said he is “reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement. But in this case — where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families — I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal.”
Next Steps in Congress
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that the House this week would “take up a bill adopting the tentative agreement — with no poison pills or changes to the negotiated terms — and send it to the Senate.”
Mike Steenhoek, executive director at the Soy Transportation Coalition, feels this action will lead to a solution.
“I think the [odds Pelosi will reach an agreement] is really high because the republicans will support it,” Steenhoek says. “There may be some on the democratic side that say they need to hold out on concessions for workers. But with the President urging it, along with the board recommendations, I think there will be quick passage.”
If an agreement isn’t made by the cooling-off deadline of Dec. 5 (Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen), Steenhoek says there will likely be a reduction in rail service as early as the end of this week.
More on the rail strike:
Rail Strike Update: Labor Deal Deadline Shortened to Dec. 5
A Possible Rail Strike is Quickly Approaching Unless Congress Steps In
