Legislation to block rail strike misses ‘biggest sticking point’

President Biden has asked Congress to step in with legislation to avert a railroad strike next month. Lawmakers are poised to take up legislation this week that would impose a deal that unions agreed to in September, but does not address sick and personal time changes that unions are pushing for.

Arthur Wheaton is a transportation industry and supply chain expert and director of labor studies at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Wheaton says congressional action to enforce the September agreement is “unlikely to resolve the issue.”

Wheaton says:

“The biggest concern I have is that the tentative agreement being pushed by the Biden administration fails to address the primary concerns of the union members.

“The sick time and personal time issue is by far the biggest sticking point in getting ratification by the members. If congress fails to add personal days or sick days to the deal it is unlikely to resolve the issues.

“The financial aspects were reasonably addressed but the failure to allow more flexibility in paid time off has been a huge problem for the bargaining unit members. A strike is very likely if members are not given similar paid time off required by federal contractors and most public and private sector collective bargaining agreements.”

For interviews contact:
Jeff Tyson
Cell: (607) 793-5769

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