Biden says tentative railway labor deal has been reached, averting a strike

Then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at the Amtrak Johnstown train station in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Sept. 30, 2020.

A strike that could have shut down freight and passenger trains across the country appears to have been averted.

After a 20-hour marathon of negotiations, the White House announced early Thursday that a tentative agreement was reached between the railroad and the union representing conductors and engineers.

“This agreement is validation – validation of what I’ve believed all along. Unions and management can work together, can work together for everyone’s benefit,” President Biden said, calling the agreement a victory for America and the railroad workers who worked tirelessly to move freight in the midst of the pandemic.

Union members still need to vote to approve the agreement before it can be finalized. A vote is not expected for at least a few weeks.

The two sides have been negotiating the contract for several years without a resolution and face a 12:01 a.m. Friday deadline, the end of a “cooling off” period.

Biden called the negotiations at 9 p.m. Wednesday and urged the negotiating team to “be flexible, be creative and come to an agreement,” an official said. At 2 a.m. Thursday, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh called to announce they had reached an agreement.

Freight railroads have halted shipments of hazardous materials this week, including chlorine to water treatment plants and chemicals used in fertilizers, not wanting those shipments to be left unattended during the strike.

Amtrak said in a statement that it is working to quickly restore canceled trains and contact affected customers to meet first departure demand. Yesterday, Amtrak announced that it had canceled all long-distance trains due to the threat of a strike.

The National Conference Board of Carriers, which represents the nation’s freight railroads, said.” The tentative agreement announced today follows the August 16 recommendations of the President’s Emergency Committee …… It includes a 24 percent wage increase over a five-year period from 2020 to 2024 – with a 14.1 percent wage increase effective immediately – and five $1,000 annual lump-sum payments.”

The agreement also includes changes to workplace attendance policies that workers believe are too punitive. In a joint statement, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and SMART Transportation confirmed that under the tentative agreement, workers will be able to take time off for medical appointments without facing disciplinary action.
These attendance policies have become major sticking points as the deadline for reaching an agreement nears.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the proposed agreement would not only bring pay raises and quality-of-life improvements for workers, but would also help railroads.
“It means a way to attract and retain good workers,” Buttigieg said.” It means avoiding the disruptions that can accompany any kind of work stoppage or slowdown.”

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