The text, adopted by the Senate after its approval on Wednesday in the lower house, imposes a sectoral agreement despite the fact that it has not obtained the support of all the unions in the sector.
Faced with the prospect of a strike starting December 9, the president Joe Biden, a big supporter of rail transportation, he demanded congressional approval of the text, which he is empowered to do under a 1926 law.
The Democratic leader, who never misses an opportunity to affirm his support for the unions, considered the situation too dangerous, since a strike in the railway sector would have reduced the country’s economic activity by 2,000 million dollars a day, according to an estimate by the American Railroad Association.
forced negotiation
In the United States, about 28% of freight is transported by rail. A strike would also have had a significant impact on passenger trains, as most run on tracks owned by freight transport companies.
To the force the adoption of the collective agreement and avoid social dialoguethe head of state exposed himself to criticism from the unions and the majority of the left.
“There is no clearer example of corporate greed than what we see in the rail industry today,” said progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Biden defended himself against criticism at a press conference this Thursday, assuring that he had managed to “negotiate a contract that no one else could have negotiated.”
The text provides for a salary increase of 24% in the five-year period 2020-2024.
The threat to strike originated in a complex negotiation process, in which 12 unions and their employers participated, and in which Biden had invested all his political weight.
Among the issues that crystallized the discontent of numerous workers in the sector, sick leave stands out, since some companies do not provide for it.
In an attempt to resolve this dispute, Democrats introduced a companion bill providing for seven days of guaranteed sick leave a year, but it failed to get the required 60 votes in the Senate.
“I’ve been very clear: I will continue to fight for sick leave coverage, not just for railroad workers, but for all American workers,” Joe Biden vowed Thursday.
Source: Ambito
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