Biden calls on US Congress to avert rail strike

US President Joe Biden today called on Congress to pass legislation imposing a contract on railroads and labor unions that would avert a strike on 9 December.

Biden called on Congress "to pass legislation immediately to adopt the [15 September] tentative agreement between railroad workers and operators —without any modifications or delay — to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown."

"A rail shutdown would devastate our economy," he said.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) cheered Biden's comments.

"No one benefits from a rail work stoppage — not our customers, not rail employees and not the American economy," AAR chief executive Ian Jefferies said today.

The September agreement expanded upon recommendations made by emergency panel appointed by Biden. That tentative contract with three labor unions averted a possible strike on 16 November.

But since then, four labor unions have rejected proposed contracts with the nation's largest railroads. A cooling off period expires at midnight on 8 December, allowing those workers to go on strike.

Biden wants Congress to force railroad employees to accept the terms of that contract, which included a 24pc pay raise over five years and some increased health care benefits.

The secretaries of the US labor, agriculture and transportation departments have "been in regular touch with labor leaders and management" as workers voted during the last three months.

"They believe that there is no path to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table and have recommended that we seek Congressional action," Biden said.

Presidential advisors have suggested that as many as 765,000 Americans, including rail workers, would be put out of work in the first two weeks of a strike.

Despite calling himself a "a proud pro-labor president," Biden said Congress must act because a strike would affect millions of people.

Biden urged Congress not to modify the deal to improve it for labor or for management as changes could risk a "delay and a debilitating shutdown."

By Abby Caplan