President Joe Biden on Friday signed legislation to bring to a close any threat of a rail strike by enshrining into statute a contract between labor unions and the freight rail industry.
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WASHINGTON — President Biden signed legislation on Friday to impose a labor agreement between rail companies and workers who had been locked in a bitter dispute, averting a strike that could have upended the economy just before the holiday season.
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first strike that spread across multiple different states in the U.S. This strike finally ended 52 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the National Guard, and federal troops.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Averting a Rail Shutdown. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation immediately to adopt the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers and operators – without any modifications or delay – to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown.
Last fall, many union railroad workers in the United States did not have paid sick days. Now, more than sixty percent of them do, Reuters reports. It has been a process of slow, piecemeal wins over many months—and a testament to the continued push of high-profile politicians like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).
Under the Railway Labor Act, the federal agency that oversees railroad and airline labor relations is the National Mediation Board, which tries to bring the two sides together, and it set up a series of limits and cooling off periods during which unions can not strike and management can not lock out the workers.
On May 10, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed the Railway Safety Act of 2023 (S.576) out of committee on a largely party-line vote. Democrats were unanimously in favor, but two Republicans on the committee—the original bill sponsor, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen.
Work SchedulesBecause trains operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, railroad workers' schedules may vary to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
Last Updated: August 2023 AAR.org/time-off-policies Railroad employees receive substantial paid time off each year and generous paid sick leave benefits.