House passes bill to avert rail strike

To avert a potential rail strike, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that would force unions to accept a tentative agreement reached earlier this year between railroad managers and their workers.

Lawmakers voted 290-137 to pass the measure, which provides workers with 24% raises over five years and allows them to take time off for medical appointments without being penalized. House members also voted 221-207 to pass a separate measure that would give rail workers seven days of paid sick leave per year, which was one of the concerns that unions had with the tentative agreement that the White House brokered in September.

President Biden praised the House and said that “without action this week, disruptions to our auto supply chains, our ability to move food to tables, and our ability to remove hazardous waste from gasoline refineries will begin,” adding that the “Senate must move quickly” to send a bill to his desk to be signed into law.