Nationwide rail strike averted

President Joe Biden will sign a bill Friday to avert a freight rail strike that he said could have plunged the U.S. into recession. The White House said that Biden would sign a measure passed Thursday by the Senate and Wednesday by the House that binds rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the rail companies and union leaders in September. Members in four of the 12 unions involved rejected the proposed contract, creating the risk of a strike beginning Dec. 9.

Regarding the vote U.S. Senator John Hoeven noted the two sides are already three years into this five-year labor agreement, so the workers and railroads can negotiate for any additional changes as part of their next labor agreement in two years.
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer added that Congress had been forced into a position to either intervene in labor negotiations or allow a rail strike to cripple the economy.
Representative Kelly Armstrong supported the vote on the House side.