U.S. House votes to avert rail strikes, impose deal on unions

The U.S. House of Representatives moved urgently on Wednesday to head off an impending national rail strike, passing a bill that would bind companies and workers to a proposed settlement.

The proposed settlement was reached in September but was rejected by some of the unions involved.

The measure passed by a vote of 290 to 137 and will now go to the Senate. If approved there, it would be signed by President Joe Biden, who has urged the Senate to act quickly.

“Because of uncertainty about whether a final vote will be held this week to avoid a shutdown, railroads will begin stopping transport of critical materials such as chemicals to clean our drinking water as early as this weekend,” Mr Biden said.

“Let me say it again: If we don’t act this week, our automotive supply chain, our ability to get food to tables, and our ability to remove hazardous waste from our refineries will all begin to disrupt.”

Business groups including the US Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau Federation have warned that halting rail services would be devastating to the economy by $2bn (£170m) a day.

The bill would implement a compromise labor deal brokered by the Biden administration that was ultimately voted down by four of the 12 unions representing the major freight railroad’s roughly 115,000 employees.

The union has threatened to strike if a deal cannot be reached by the Dec. 9 deadline.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed reservations about vetoing the talks.

Intervention has been especially difficult for Democratic lawmakers, who have traditionally sought alliances with politically powerful unions that have criticized Biden’s moves to meddle in contract disputes and block strikes.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed that concern with a second vote Wednesday that would add seven days of paid sick leave per year to railroad workers covered by the deal.

However, it will not go into effect until the Senate passes both measures.

The House of Representatives also passed the sick leave measure, but narrowly passed it by a vote of 221 to 207, with Republicans overwhelmingly opposed, suggesting little chance of the Senate passing the rider.