By Justin Franz
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to take up legislation that would force four rail unions to accept the terms of a Tentative Agreement negotiated earlier this year and avoid a nationwide strike in early December.
Biden’s request comes a week after the nation’s two largest unions decided to go in different directions on the agreement negotiated by their leadership: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen voted in favor of the agreement (53.5% for and 46.5% against), while a slight majority of SMART Transportation Division members (50.87%) voted against the contract. That vote by SMART kicked off a brief “cooling-off” period that would expire on December 9. At that point, either union members could go on strike or the railroads could lock employees out. Three smaller unions also rejected the Tentative Agreement that had been forged in September with the help of federal officials.
“I am calling on Congress to pass legislation immediately to adopt the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers and operators – without any modifications or delay – to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown,” Biden said Monday evening. “This agreement was approved by labor and management negotiators in September. On the day that it was announced, labor leaders, business leaders, and elected officials all hailed it as a fair resolution of the dispute between the hard-working men and women of the rail freight unions and the companies in that industry.”
While Biden has long been seen as a friend of unions, White House officials were concerned about a rail strike that could cost the economy $2 billion per day, especially right before the holidays.
Freight railroads praised Biden for calling for swift action.
“No one benefits from a rail work stoppage – not our customers, not rail employees and not the American economy,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “Now is the appropriate time for Congress to pass legislation to implement the agreements already ratified by eight of the twelve unions. A clear pattern of ratified agreements has been established and Congressional action to prevent a work stoppage in this manner is appropriate.”
The unions had yet to put out a statement as this story went to press.