Will Rail Union Workers Get Everything They Want For Christmas?

The U.S. House approves additional paid leave for rail workers after forcing them to accept a contract to avert a possible strike that would disrupt holiday shopping.

Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash

The Senate voted 80-15 Thursday to impose a labor agreement between the rail companies and four hold-out rail worker unions. Alas, the Senate refused in a 52 to 43 vote to grant rail workers seven days of paid sick leave. Pres. Joe Biden says he’ll sign the bill.

This was brilliant.

If unions were this smart all the time, every workplace would have a union.

The Democratic administration of Pres. Joe Biden and rail companies last fall negotiated a contract that gave rail workers a huge pay increase and flexible scheduling but only three unpaid sick days for medical appointments.

Eight unions, containing the majority of all voting railroad workers, accepted the deal but four unions did not and they threatened a strike that would force the participation of all rail workers and bring rail traffic to a screeching halt.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned Pres. Biden the strike would cost the American economy $2 billion per day, exacerbate inflation, prevent the delivery of energy products for heating and manufacturing, lead to the spoilage of agricultural products, etc.

So on Wednesday, at Biden’s urging, the House voted 290 to 137 to force the hold out unions to accept the contract.

But the idea of siding with an employer against union members didn’t sit well with liberal Democrats. So the House voted on a second measure to add seven sick days to the union agreement. That measure was approved by a far closer margin of 221 to 207, garnering the support of only three Republicans.

Both bills will now go to the Senate for approval, where it is expected the sick days bill will die a quick death.

(A special bonus for the Democrats is that the GOP will take the heat if the sick day bill goes down to defeat, thus giving Democrats an easy out for consorting with the “enemy.”)

The Chamber of Commerce urged the House not to pass the sick leave measure.

24% Pay Increase

Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the Chamber, said the unions prioritized other benefits in contract negotiations, securing a 24% increase in pay, $5,000 in lump sum bonuses and “comprehensive long-term paid sickness benefits that, depending on the role, can begin in as little as four days and last for 52 weeks.”

He said Congress’ decision to “add additional sick days without revising any of those other benefits will only raise prices for railroad users and ultimately American consumers and it will increase the risk of future strikes by rewarding the tactics of a minority of hold-out unions.”

It was the first time since 1992 that Congress has used the Railway Labor Act to end a labor dispute.