Government poised to intervene in freight rail fight
From Transport Topics. With a Dec. 9 deadline looming to reach an agreement on a nationwide freight rail contract, President Joe Biden is asking Congress to intervene in the dispute, which threatens to severely damage the U.S. economy. “As a proud pro-labor president, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of…
From Transport Topics.
With a Dec. 9 deadline looming to reach an agreement on a nationwide freight rail contract, President Joe Biden is asking Congress to intervene in the dispute, which threatens to severely damage the U.S. economy.
“As a proud pro-labor president, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” the White House said in a statement. “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.”
It is estimated that a strike would shut down 30% of the nation’s freight capacity.
Moments after Biden’s statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that legislation would be taken up in an attempt to settle the dispute this week between 115,000 union workers and the management bargaining team. Affected carriers include CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern and Kansas City Southern.
See the complete article from Transport Topics online.