Biden signs legislation to avert rail shutdown
Last edited Fri Dec 2, 2022, 01:18 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: CNN Politics
CNN President Joe Biden on Friday signed legislation to avert a rail shutdown after congressional lawmakers raced to pass the measure amid concerns over the economic danger posed by a possible strike.
The House passed the tentative rail agreement on Wednesday, and the Senate passed the legislation on Thursday as pressure mounted on lawmakers to act swiftly.
Biden said in remarks ahead of the signing that the bill ends a difficult rail dispute and helps our nation avoid what without a doubt would have been an economic catastrophe. Our nations rail system is literally the backbone of our supply chain, Biden said. A rail shutdown would have devastated our economy.
Without congressional action, a rail strike could have become a reality as early as December 9, causing shortages, spiking prices and halting factory production. It could also have disrupted commuter rail services for up to seven million travelers a day and the transportation of 6,300 carloads of food and farm products a day, among other items, according to a collection of business groups. Thanks to the bill Congress passed
weve spared the country that catastrophe, Biden said.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/02/politics/biden-signs-legislation-avert-rail-shutdown/index.html
And as a reminder, the "fault" is the GOP in Congress who have consistently voted AGAINST such leave, and NOT "Democrats" who have voted FOR it or "President Biden" who still wants it, and not just for rail workers but for the 1/3rd of U.S. workers who don't have it - and that has to be legislated (like the minimum wage).
Article updated.
Original article -
Without congressional action, a rail strike could have become a reality as early as December 9, causing shortages, spiking prices and halting factory production. It could also have disrupted commuter rail services for up to seven million travelers a day and the transportation of 6,300 carloads of food and farm products a day, among other items, according to a collection of business groups.
One complication in the effort to pass a bill had been a push by progressives to add a provision to the agreement related to paid sick leave. And on Thursday, the Senate failed to pass the House-passed paid sick leave measure backed by progressives.
Biden defended his administrations efforts to avert a rail strike on Thursday, despite criticism from union leaders that a deal brokered by the White House did not meet workers demands for paid leave. I negotiated a contract no one else could negotiate the only thing that was left out was whether or not there was a paid leave, Biden told reporters in the White House East Room. You know, Ive been trying to get paid leave, not just rail workers, but for everybody.
dalton99a
(81,084 posts)David__77
(23,220 posts)Its very unfortunate.
The Mouth
(3,124 posts)it hurts more when it's someone who is supposedly on your side.
This is not the way collective bargaining is supposed to work. Essentially, their right to bargain and consequently to strike has been removed.
sarisataka
(18,221 posts)Since the odds of getting the incoming Congress to approve sick leave are about zero.
As for Biden, he sits in the seat so he gets the heat- whether or not it is fair.
BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)that outside of the cherry-picked sick-leave issue, the rest of it has been pretty extraordinary in terms of raises (which were long overdue) and health bennies, and that is why 8 of the 12 unions had gone ahead and ratified it. But we'll just keep doing the circular firing squad here on DU.
When it comes to passing legislation with an intransigent and outright loon group of GOP elected officials who refuse to support workers rights, there is no "room to negotiate" because they planned to torpedo it from the outset.
Kennah
(14,116 posts)On DU, not so much
The Mouth
(3,124 posts)the four that were against it are much larger.
BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)however like federal government employees, Congress legislated that certain functions could not strike.
RobinA
(9,878 posts)involved at all? Congress doesn't step in every time there is a contract negotiation. I can't figure out why this is even before Congress. When did they become party to a collective bargainning agreement? I haven't memorized the Railway Labor Act, but even if there's something in there that allows Congress to step at some point, how is this that point. There isn't even a strike.
BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)Because Congress passed that law that you admit that you didn't "memorize" that allows for and pretty much requires intervention to stave off a strike (just like federal workers can't strike) in order to maintain interstate commerce.
1926 Railway Labor Act
Codified Regulations - 45 USC Ch. 8: RAILWAY LABOR
Congress can create legislation that impacts labor law at any time they want but it's a matter of getting the votes to actually bring it to fruition.
ETA - here is a good article about this - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/why-congress-is-intervening-in-a-labor-dispute-between-railway-companies-and-freight-workers
Unwind Your Mind
(2,028 posts)Paragraph beginning with one complication
Its gross. That bill was actually bi-partisan right? Or at least thats what they would have called an R bill with one Dem vote.
kimbutgar
(20,882 posts)BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)assuming we can get the 51 votes. Since we are in a new fiscal year, the 3 types of reconciliation (taxing, spending, debt ceiling) are available again, either as a standalone or in combo, where each can only be used once a fiscal year.
republianmushroom
(13,061 posts)malthaussen
(17,066 posts)... nevermind sick leave or other pay for people wanting a day off.
We live in a truly barbarous society, and one wing of our political overlords would like to make it more barbarous.
-- Mal
XanaDUer2
(10,328 posts)Give them sick time! All this over a basic human need if someone gets sick? This is ridiculous
The Mouth
(3,124 posts)ripcord
(5,084 posts)What is next no right to quit?
Elessar Zappa
(13,650 posts)Republicans and Manchin shut it down. This is 100% on the Republicans.
BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)ripcord
(5,084 posts)He asked for this bill and had the responsibility to veto if the sick days weren't included.
BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)with less than 10 days left, if he didn't sign it, it would have automatically become law.
The reality is that the GOP opposes any sort of agreement that we really want and "elections matter". I posted links to the law and regulations around this upthread - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3002145
And in the case if there were a strike, the issue would be sent to arbitration, which would probably result in what arbitrators earlier proposed over the summer, which was less generous (and no, didn't include the sick leave).
But instead of blaming the GOP, we continue to do this on DU -
Response to BumRushDaShow (Original post)
jonstl08 This message was self-deleted by its author.
forthemiddle
(1,373 posts)But in the end President Biden signed the bill.
Nobody remembers the the proposed bill, they remember the final bill.
We may have screwed the union, but we saved the economy. Its a trade off, and Biden made the only decision he could.
Sorry union members.
BumRushDaShow
(127,330 posts)Because of when it was sent to him, if he didn't sign it, it would have still become law.
If it were vetoed and they went on strike, the issue would be automatically sent to arbitration and would result in what would most likely have been much less than what was negotiated here. I.e., Over the summer, arbitrators from the Presidential Emergency Board had already proposed a package and would likely go with that as the final offer - https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4
MichMan
(11,790 posts)Of course he was going to sign it as he said he would
neverforget
(9,434 posts)take their back pay and leave. The job has become unlivable with the point system for staying marked up (available).
The railroads are getting what they want: a reduced workforce so they can go to 1 person road crews, more automation and many more billions in profit for shareholders.