US House Of Representatives Backs Bill To Block Rail Strike

The US House Of Representatives has backed a bill to codify an agreement negotiated by Labour Secretary Marty Walsh and trade unions in September to avert a rail strike.

• The bill was fast-tracked to the floor by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) after a White House meeting between Congressional leaders and President Biden yesterday.
• The bill will now head to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to have enough votes to send the bill to the President Biden's desk, despite some opposition from progressive Democrats.
• If the bill becomes law it will avert a potentially damaging rail strike next week which could cost the US economy hundreds of thousands of jobs and damage supply chains. Axios reported this morning that a strike could cost the economy up to USD$2 billion a day.
• The House will now consider a separate bill to boost union sick pay from one day to seven days - the current sticking point for a number of unions threating strike action.