Schumer: Senate To Stay In Session Until Agreement On Rail Strike Reached

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has told lawmakers that the upper chamber will stay in session until they reach an agreement on averting a rail strike.

• Schumer: "Senators are working morning, noon and night to reach an agreement for us to act on this measure as soon as possible. The Senate cannot leave until we get the job done."
• The House yesterday backed the bill to codify a tentative agreement made between Labour Secretary Marty Walsh and union leaders in September. The House also voted in favour of a second bill to increase paid sick leave for union workers from one to seven days.
• There is likely enough support in the chamber to push through the tentative agreement but the sick pay bill, which only managed to peel off seven GOP votes in the House, is unlikely to attain the requisite 60 votes to bypass a filibuster.
• Negotiations are causing a headache for progressive Democrats who fear being strong-armed into swallowing a bill which subordinates worker rights, but there is no indication that Democrats are prepared to torpedo the tentative agreement.