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A railway worker drives a train engine while loading railcars in San Diego, California, U.S. November 30, 2022. /REUTERS
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed a bill to block a national U.S. railroad strike that could have devastated the American economy.
The U.S. Senate had on Thursday voted 80 to 15 to impose a tentative contract deal reached in September on a dozen unions representing 115,000 workers, who could have gone on strike on December 9. However, the Senate failed to approve a measure that would have provided paid sick days to railroad workers.
Eight of 12 unions had ratified the deal but some labor leaders have criticized Biden, a self-described friend of labor, for asking Congress to impose a contract that workers in four unions have rejected over its lack of paid sick leave.
"That fight isn't over," Biden said of the push for sick leave.
Railroads have slashed labor and other costs to bolster profits in recent years, and have been fiercely opposed to adding paid sick time that would require them to hire more staff.
A rail strike could have frozen almost 30 percent of U.S. cargo shipments by weight, stoked already surging inflation, cost the American economy as much as $2 billion a day, and stranded millions of rail passengers.
(With input from Reuters)
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Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466