US Senate votes to avoid rail strike

The US Senate approved a bill to override union objections to a proposed rail worker contract, allaying the potential for a nationwide strike that threatened widespread economic disruption.

The Senate voted 80-15 to require unions to accept a rail labor agreement brokered by the White House in September even though the contract remains unratified by four of the 12 major unions that collectively represent over 100,000 US rail workers. The House of Representatives passed the bill yesterday.

Senate passage sends the legislation to President Joe Biden, who earlier this week called on Congress to act to avoid a strike that would have been set to begin on 9 December.

Lobbying groups had warned that rail strikes could cause severe disruptions across virtually every segment of the US supply chain, ranging from gasoline to fertilizers to retail goods.

By Chris Baltimore