“Our nation’s rail system is literally the backbone of our supply chain, as you all well know. And so much of what we rely on is delivered on our rail, from clean water to food and gas and every — every other good. A rail shutdown would have devastated our economy.”
President Joseph Biden
PRESIDENT SIGNS H.S. RES. 100 INTO LAW PREVENTING RAIL FREIGHT DISRUPTION
President Joseph Biden signed H.J. Res. 100, into law today. Congress worked quickly to vote on this legislation to prevent rail labor unions from freezing rail freight movement due to labor stoppage. “Without freight rail, many of the U.S. industries would literally shut down,” Biden remarked as he prepared to sign the resolution, “Communities could have lost access to chemicals necessary to ensure clean drinking water. Farms and ranches across the country would have been unable to feed their livestock. And thanks to the bill Congress passed and what I’m about to sign, we’ve spared the country that catastrophe.”
SENATE REJECTS PAID SICK LEAVE FOR RAILROAD UNION LABORERS
On Wednesday, the House voted to approve H. Con. Res. 119 that requires railroads to provide union members with a minimum of seven paid days of sick leave. This resolution was voted down in the Senate yesterday. Mandatory paid sick leave for rail workers has been a point of contention throughout the labor negotiations.
Labor unions and their members assert that the railroads should provide paid sick leave to maintain the health and well-being of railroad workers and their families. Railroad representatives state that paid sick leave will be costly and detrimental to railroad operations. President Biden asserted that he will continue to champion paid sick leave for every worker in America, “I’ve supported paid sick leave for a long time, and I’m going to continue that fight until we succeed…it’s a really good bill lacking only one thing, and we’re going to get that one thing done before it’s all over.”
LABOR UNION MEMBERS RECEIVE PAY HIKES AND IMPROVED WORKING CONDITIONS
The imposed rail labor contract provides rail workers a 24% wage increase over the next five years, including an immediate payout averaging $11,000. Improved medical benefits and assurances for worker safety programs were also included in the final labor contract.
President Biden thanked Congress for their efforts to fast-track the legislation saying, “I know this was a tough vote for members of both parties. It was tough — for me. But it was the right thing to do at the moment to save jobs, to protect millions of working families from harm and disruption, and to keep supply chains stable around the holidays, and to continue the progress we’ve made and we’re — continue to see on the economy.”
Stay up-to-date on freight news with Green’s Weekly Freight Market Update by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For continuous updates, make sure to check out our website at greenworldwide.com.
