With less than two weeks from a railroad strike deadline, President Biden plans to call on Congress to take action to avert a shutdown of the country’s freight railroads, the Washington Post reported, citing an official briefed on his plans. Union officials have said it’s looking increasingly unlikely the unions and major rail freight carriers would reach a deal over lingering issues before a Dec. 9 strike deadline, renewing pressure on Congress and the White House to intervene.
Four out of 12 unions that represent the majority of U.S. freight railroad workers have voted down tentative agreements, brokered by the White House, citing frustration over lack of paid sick time and punitive attendance policies. All twelve unions need to vote individually to ratify their contracts. If one union moves to strike, all of the unions — which represent more than 115,000 rail workers — would likely move in solidarity, triggering an industry-wide work stoppage.
It remains unclear what Congress would impose, but it would likely be a version of an agreement recommended by a Biden-appointed board earlier this year that was rejected by the unions. Some unions have been lobbying Congress in recent weeks to add paid sick days to the deal.
