November 29, 2022
We are getting dangerously close to a freight rail strike. And I know that sounds like it doesn’t impact you. But I promise you, if it happens it will. A strike like this would be catastrophic to our economy, gasoline supply and supply chain.
But because of a power that only Congress has over the railroads it looks like lawmakers will intervene starting tomorrow to stop the looming strike next week.
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So here’s what’s happening.
In case you didn’t know a lot of the stuff that we consume, buy and eat… travels by train throughout the country. But if there’s no one to work those trains and manage the tracks guess what? Store shelves could go empty, factories won’t get the parts they need, gasoline doesn’t get delivered, prices may start to go up, the supply chain breaks down…again –not to mention the critical deliveries to wastewater treatment and utility plants won’t show up. Let’s just say, it could be bad.
Well, back in September, I told you in these videos – the rail unions threatened to strike over what they call poor working conditions. After marathon negotiations between the unions, the rail carriers and the Biden Administration… they struck a deal. But that deal had to go back to the union members for a vote. Eight of the rail unions agreed to the deal but four rail unions did not.
And those four unions have been negotiating with the rail carriers ever since to add additional paid sick time on top of what was originally agreed to. But the rail carriers won’t budge and won’t add any more than was already negotiated. And that brings us to today with the unions threatening to strike next week.
Here’s where Congress comes in with that special power. At the President’s request, the Speaker says the House will use that power to take up legislation tomorrow.
Under the Railway Labor Act of 1926, Congress has several options. It can make the rail unions and rail carriers accept an agreement that their members have voted down. Lawmakers also can order negotiations to continue and delay the strike deadline for a certain period, or they can send the dispute to outside arbitrators. The House Speaker says the house will vote on a bill that force the unions and carriers to accept deal that was negotiated by all parties back in September with no changes. If it passes the House it will then go to the Senate. The Senate Majority Leader says it will be voted on ASAP. But this whole process is filled with pitfalls and it could go sideways at any point.
Now, overriding union wishes is not something Democrats really want to get involved in, and having the Congress get involved in private negotiations is not something Republicans want to do, however, several high profile Democrats and Republicans have said avoiding a strike at any political cost the responsible thing to do because nobody wants to see a rail strike during the holiday season.
Read the announcement from Speaker Pelosi here.
