I’m all for doing what’s necessary to avoid a strike, as my business is 100% dependent on moving product via train
Biden calls on Congress to intervene to avert rail shutdown
President Biden on Monday called on Congress to pass legislation to avert a rail shutdown before Dec. 9, warning of major disruptions to the U.S. economy if lawmakers don’t act.
He said Congress should pass a bill “immediately to adopt the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers and operators — without any modifications or delay — to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown.”
Biden’s plea to Congress comes amid an ongoing labor standoff that could shut down crucial shipments of food and fuel.
In response to Biden’s call, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement, “This week, the House will take up a bill adopting the Tentative Agreement — with no poison pills or changes to the negotiated terms — and send it to the Senate.”
I have a question: why would it be necessary for Congress to pass a bill? Isn’t this an agreement between private entities? How is it possible for the Congress to pass a bill and have it binding for private enterprises and the unions involved? Especially since it seems that several of the unions have said “no”?
“On the day that it was announced, labor leaders, business leaders, and elected officials all hailed it as a fair resolution of the dispute between the hard-working men and women of the rail freight unions and the companies in that industry,” he said.
While I agree with wanting to avoid a crippling strike, under what authority can the Congress force this upon the parties involved?
Biden, in his statement, warned about the outcome if there is a shutdown.
“Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy. Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down,” he said, adding that union workers would be out of work, communities would struggle to get chemicals that ensure clean drinking water and farmers and ranchers would be unable to feed their livestock.
He’s not wrong. Not wrong in the least. He also wants, again, zero changes. No adding this or that or the other from Democrats or Republicans. Who’s your bet on the first to attempt to attach ryders to the bill? I’m going with Squad members.
I absotively, posilutely hated dealing with the railroad!
When I was running a plant in Hampton, Virginia, for a time we got cement by rail. What that meant was ordering cement from the plant in Roanoke, two 100-ton railcars at a time, because that was all that would fit on my siding.
First the cars had to be loaded in Roanoke. Then shipped to the railyard in Newport News. Then the railroad would deliver them to my siding whenever the damned well felt like it. Then I had to push them up to the plant itself with my too-small International 515 loader. Then I had to unload them myself, a lot of time and labor.
I hated the railroad.
We are still operating with the 19th century laws passed to encourage railroad development, and the railroads have inordinate legal power.
Those antiquated laws (and labor agreements) are much of the problem. The near monopolistic hold on bulk freight is probably the rest. Democrats like Brandon just exacerbate the issues.
And yes, RR’s are a pita to work with, unless you can help them with something. Just dang, Dana you needed a full grown loader for that work.
Seems like Democrats are doing some last minute looting before they loose power. Odd they didn’t use that power to get student loan forgiveness, unrestricted abortions or DC statehood. They have beed eejected by America. They have no business passing anything.
pH typed: They (Democrats) have no business passing anything.
Actually, they have every business to pass anything they can.
The 118th Congress will convene for the first time on January 3, 2023, at noon.
Railroads like most big American businesses have been taking in record profits for the elites that own their stock
Time for the GOP to support the working class
Time for the GOP to support the working class
Says the democommie who taxes and regulates the middle class to death.
Mr Brandon claims a ‘democommie’ (sic) is taxing and regulating the middle class to death.
One sure way to cut taxes on the working class (he changed working class to middle class for some reason – probably because his wealthy family whines about taxes) is to tax the wealthy more. Simple. If you take from the rich, you can spread it to the poor in tax cuts and services!! But the GOP hates the working class except on election day.
What regulations are killing the middle or working classes? Stop signs?
But of course that’s already happening as “the rich” pay around 40% of all federal income tax and the bottom pays about 3%.
Libs have some kind of brain block that keeps them from realizing that the US has one of the most progressive tax systems in the world. Just doesn’t fit the narrative…