https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/11/28/sanders-vows-stand-rail-workers-republican-says-congress-will-prevent-strike

A House Republican from Pennsylvania said Sunday that Congress will intervene to stop a nationwide strike if rail companies and unions don’t reach a contract agreement soon, a step that would likely force workers to accept a deal without any paid sick days.

Acknowledging that rail workers “have a very reasonable ask” for better benefits and wages as they continue to labor under a punishing scheduling system, Rep. Brian Kevin Fitzpatrick said in a Fox News appearance Sunday that “Congress will not let this strike happen, that’s for sure.”

“Tell your elected leaders to give railroad workers the sick time they need or let them strike.”

“It would be devastating for our economy” Fitzpatrick added. “We’ll get to a resolution one way or another.”

Powerful industry groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Association of American Railroads have been pressuring Congress to step in after members of the largest rail union in the United States voted to reject a White House-brokered contract deal that rebuffed workers’ push for at least 15 days of paid sick leave. The deal, touted by the Biden White House as a victory for workers and profitable rail companies, does not include a single paid sick day.

Under the Railway Labor Act of 1926, Congress has the authority to intervene in rail labor disputes—power it has used in the past. In September, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) blocked Republican legislation that would have forced rail workers to accept the inadequate contract recommendations of an emergency board convened by President Joe Biden.

The prospect of congressional intervention ahead of a potential strike on December 9 has angered rail workers who say it would let giant companies off the hook, allowing them to continue abusing their employees while raking in record profits. Rail workers are often forced to be on call 24/7—with minimal rest between long shifts—and are penalized for taking days off for doctor’s appointments or health emergencies.

In June, a locomotive engineer died of a heart attack after he put off a doctor’s visit when his employer BNSF—a rail giant owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway—called him into work.

“When railroads refuse to give us sick time, what they are saying is their profits are worth more than their workers and the national economy,” Ross Grooters, co-chair of Railroad Workers United, tweeted over the weekend. “Hold the railroads accountable. Tell your elected leaders to give railroad workers the sick time they need or let them strike.”

Progressive lawmakers have also placed blame for the looming strike with large railroad companies, which have been gorging on their own stock, reporting huge profits, and enriching shareholders and executives while refusing to budge on workers’ longstanding demands for basic quality-of-life benefits.

“The corporate greed never ends,” Sanders wrote Sunday. “Last year, the rail industry made a record-breaking $20 billion in profits after cutting their workforce by 30% over the last six years. Meanwhile, rail workers have ZERO guaranteed paid sick days. Congress must stand with rail workers.”

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said last week that he is “hoping the railroads will get reasonable.”

“This is the 21st Century and to have skilled workers being denied sick leave, even unpaid sick leave, is unconscionable,” DeFazio told Bloomberg Government. “Freight rail companies are watching their record profits, ‘Oh my God, if we give people paid sick leave our stock might drop by a dollar.’ Give me a break.”

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/states-allow-abortion-economic-advantage-rcna58358?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma

Meanwhile, Republicans have no plans to deal with a problem that directly incentivizes abortion: the skyrocketing cost of raising children. The major categories of family spending — housing, child care, health insurance and secondary education — have been increasing faster than inflation for decades. Today, child care alone can easily eat up an entire full-time salary.

If we examine surveys of Americans who do have abortions, about three-quarters of them cite an inability to afford another child among their reasons. It is consistently found that as countries become richer and expand their social services, abortion rates tend to fall.

Given all this, if the anti-abortion movement cared about its stated goal of protecting every sacred life, the logical thing to do would be to team up with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to build up a world-class welfare state for families. But if what they really care about is viciously stomping on the worst-off people in society, as I suspect is the case, then they will do no such thing.

I conclude that the post-Dobbs restrictions on reproductive rights — as usual for conservative policy — are largely failing to achieve their stated objectives and instead are cruelly hurting those most in need: child rape victims, the very poor, and pregnant people with severe medical problems stuck in red-state hospitals. That is going to remain true no matter what national policy they might pass. All the anti-abortion movement can offer is a world in which black market abortion becomes the contraceptive of first resort for millions.

Proud pro-labor president indeed.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/11/28/rail-strike-biden-congress/

With less than two weeks until a railroad strike deadline, President Biden called on Congress on Monday to impose a deal negotiated with help from his administration earlier this year to avert a shutdown of the country’s freight railroads.

“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,” Biden said in his statement on Monday evening.

That deal was recently voted down by four railroad unions representing most of the union members. The rail workers have said they are angry and frustrated the deal lacked paid sick days or other substantial changes to an attendance policy that penalizes workers for taking time off while they are sick.

A rail strike could threaten the nation’s water supply, halt passenger rail travel and trigger major disruptions to the U.S. supply chain during the height of the holiday season, potentially worsening inflation. Already, some tech companies have begun rerouting cargo shipments from railroads to trucks in preparation for a potential shutdown, according to CNBC.

Union officials have recently said it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the unions and major rail freight carriers would reach a deal over lingering issues before a Dec. 9 strike deadline.

The president said he that while he was hesitant to push a deal that had been rejected by union members, acknowledging his promise to stand by unions, he also said a rail strike “would devastate our economy” and “hurl this nation into a devastating rail freight shutdown.”
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“As a proud pro-labor President, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” he said. “But in this case – where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families – I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal.”

Workers from the four out of the 12 unions that voted down the agreement cited frustration over lack of paid sick time and punitive attendance policies. Railroad workers do not receive paid sick days and are penalized for taking time off. Carriers have said that their attendance policies are necessary to keep the rail lines staffed, and that they allow workers to take time off when needed, by using paid vacation time.

All 12 unions need to vote individually to ratify their contracts, unless Congress imposes a contract. If one union moves to strike, all of the unions — which represent more than 115,000 rail workers — would probably move in solidarity, triggering an industry-wide work stoppage.
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On Capitol Hill, Democrats signaled that they were waiting for guidance from the White House, although in recent days, party leaders privately have discussed legislative contingency plans. On Sunday, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) signaled it was a priority for the party, telling members in a letter that leadership is “aware of the ongoing freight rail negotiations and ought to continue to monitor their progress in the days ahead.”

Less than 30 minutes after the White House sent out sent out Biden’s statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) put out a statement saying the House will consider legislation this week to avert the rail strike.”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,” she said in a statement.

Some union groups have been lobbying Congress in recent weeks to add paid sick days to the deal, and could be frustrated that Biden has recommended scrapping these wishes. Lobbying groups representing a variety of industries, meanwhile, have been pressuring Congress to enact a deal originally recommended by a Biden-appointed board that does not grant workers paid sick days.

NEW: Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner tells me about his recent impeachment, the impact of crime on midterms, and how in the face of attacks, most Democrats went “Republican-lite.” All on this week’s episode of Deconstructed https://t.co/yOndUtv4FX

— Akela Lacy (@akela_lacy) November 29, 2022

To all my friends in Congress — especially @SenSchumer — thank you!

Once again, you've kept up your side of the bargain by holding up new laws that would hold Big Tech companies like mine accountable. #FakeZuck pic.twitter.com/8zXm5gNNiP

— Fake Zuck (@DeepFakeZuck) November 29, 2022

@RepRoKhanna told me:
"If the big oil industry wants to hold the NDAA hostage to weakening environmental protections, then progressives should demand a $15 wage as part of securing our votes."

— Candice on the Hill (@CandiceColeNews) November 29, 2022

I agree with Sean O'Brien, President of the 1.2 million member strong @Teamsters. https://t.co/Fl0kItHN6n

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 29, 2022

If Congress is going to take over this process, they need to include paid sick days.

— Sean O'Brien (@TeamsterSOB) November 29, 2022

.@chrislhayes asks @BernieSanders about GOP support for his rail proposal:

"You've got Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio basically all but singing "'The Internationale'"—but can you get 10 votes from them on this?" pic.twitter.com/BhWxIdnyOG

— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) November 30, 2022

You ready for a really radical idea? Firing a worker because they’re sick and can’t come to work. That’s radical. What’s not radical is guaranteeing 7 paid sick days to all rail workers in America. Let’s get it done. pic.twitter.com/nw09ai8KjO

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 30, 2022

After Texas' six-week abortion ban took effect, hospitals immediately began torturing pregnant women in dire need of abortions, forcing them to risk serious complications (including a hysterectomy) because terminating their pregnancy would've been illegal. https://t.co/De7IdO1HOX pic.twitter.com/j1Es1UcSQt

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) November 29, 2022