Congress leaders signal strong support to prevent rail strike
WASHINGTON: Democratic and Republican congressional leaders said Tuesday they will intervene to prevent a potentially catastrophic US rail freight strike – deploying a rarely used legislative power to impose a resolution on unions.
Speaking at the White House after a meeting with President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the top leaders of both his Democratic party and the Republicans support the emergency measure.
“All four of us agreed we’ve got to resolve this rail shutdown as quickly as possible,” Schumer said, adding that the senior Republican senator, Mitch McConnell “agreed to try to get it done ASAP.”
Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, said the lower chamber would vote Wednesday on forcing unions to accept a deal averting a strike. It would then go to the Senate. A strike by freight rail workers, who are integral to US supply chains, is expected to start Dec 9 unless Congress intervenes. Legislators would effectively be forcing hold-outs to accept a September deal agreed to by a majority of unions on increased wages.
The White House invested heavy political capital during the September talks, getting the preliminary deal after a nearly all-night negotiating marathon in Washington.
Now the administration finds itself back at square one and forced to reach for the nuclear option of congressional intervention.
A strike could see nearly 7,000 freight trains grind to a halt, at a cost of more than US$2 billion a day, according to the American Association of Railroads.
The repercussions would extend throughout the economy, leading to around three quarters of a million people losing their jobs, according to Biden.