Ripples felt from threat of rail strike
While the United States House of Representatives was expected to vote on Wednesday to block a potential rail strike next week, which President Joe Biden warned would be “catastrophic” to the economy, the impact of a possible strike is already being felt.
The Democratic-controlled House will impose a tentative White House-brokered compromise struck in September on a dozen unions representing 115,000 workers, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
Biden on Monday urged Congress to act, saying that up to 765,000 people could lose their jobs in the first two weeks of a strike.
The impact of a possible strike on Dec 9 is already being felt. Chemical companies and essential product manufacturers have been making plans to avoid rail shipments. Nonworking train lines would halt supply chains for commodities like lumber and coal and delay deliveries of automobiles, produce and other consumer goods, driving up prices.
The US Chamber of Commerce and some 400 business groups representing a wide range of industries from meatpackers to jewelers sent a letter to Congress on Monday, saying the looming rail strike is of “grave urgency” and called for Congress to intervene.
Divisions remain
House-approved legislation would go to the Senate. But it is not clear that the evenly divided upper chamber could act quickly. There could be divisions among Democrats who are pro-union and those whose top priority is heading off a strike.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that “we’re going to need to pass a bill” to avert a railway strike, suggesting that Republicans did not intend to try to block such a move. In a statement on Monday, Biden himself expressed sympathy with the workers.
“As a proud pro-labor president, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” he 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 Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, one of four unions that voted against the contract, objected to Biden’s call to Congress to intervene. “The railroad is not a place to work while you’re sick,” it said. “It’s dangerous … it is unreasonable and unjust to insist a person perform critical work when they are unwell.”