WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has called on Congress to impose the terms of a tentative agreement between railroads and unions, which would prevent a strike that could come as soon as Dec. 9.
Biden said he was calling for legislation to be passed “immediately … to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would “consider action this week,” CNN reports.
“Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy. Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down,” Biden said in a statement issued Monday. “My economic advisors report that as many as 765,000 Americans – many union workers themselves – could be put out of work in the first two weeks alone. “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.”
Eight of 12 unions have adopted the tentative agreement based on the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board appointed by Biden this summer, which — as the Biden statement noted — included a 24% pay increase over the five-year life of the contract, retroactive to 2020.
“On the day that it was announced, labor leaders, business leaders, and elected officials all hailed it as a fair resolution of the dispute between the hard-working men and women of the rail freight unions and the companies in that industry,” the statement read.
But the tentative deal was rejected by the SMART-TD union representing conductors and other crew members; the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division; the Brotherood of Railroad Signalmen; and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. Unions that have rejected the deal have indicated that their members are concerned over working conditions — which the PEB left to local bargaining — while SMART-TD and the BMWED have sought additional paid sick time.
“As a proud pro-labor President, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” Biden’s statement said. “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.”
The call for congressional action represents a significant change of course for the Biden administration. In a press briefing just hours earlier, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had reiterated the adminstration’s prior stance that the “best option” was for the parties “to resolve this themselves.”
Association of American Railroads CEO Ian Jefferies said in response to Biden’s statement that this “is the appropriate time for Congress to pass legislation to implement the agreements already ratified by eight of the 12 unions. A clear pattern of ratified agreements has been established and Congressional action to prevent a work stoppage in this manner is appropriate.” Earlier, the AAR had released a poll saying most Americans believe the tentative agreements are fair [see “Business leaders urge Congress …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 28, 2022].
— Updated at 7:08 p.m. CDT with Pelosi statement.
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