Economists unanimously agree that a rail strike could paralyze the nation’s economy, especially ahead of one of the busiest times of year for supply chains: Holiday season. While rail negotiations have continued to stall, the U.S. Congress has voted to pass legislation to effectively block a strike set for early December 2022. The bill gives unionized rail workers three unpaid sick days a year for medical appointments, based on terms that railroads and certain unions agreed upon in early September. Eight unions have already adopted these terms, while four unions have not. In conjunction to this bill, the White House has passed a separate bill that allows rail workers an additional seven days of sick leave. The bill will now move onto the U.S. Senate where lawmakers will vote whether to pass it into law. A recent article published by Freight Waves covers the nuances of the bill and the developments that led up to Congress’ involvement.
To read the article, click here.
