The US president, Joe Biden, signed a law this Friday that prevents the railway strike on Christmas Eve, but that goes against the demands of some unions, by leaving workers without paid sick days.
Biden acknowledged that it was a “difficult” decision when it came to ratifying the law, recalling that on several occasions he expressed his support for the union movement in the United States.
“It was difficult for me, but it was what had to be done at this time to save jobs and protect millions of working families from the damage that supply chain disruptions coinciding with those dates would have caused,” said the US head of state. . during the event at the White House.
Earlier this week, Biden asked Congress to intervene and avert the strike called for December 9, passing a law to impose on workers the principle of the agreement reached with the companies in September, which went on to pass in the House of Representatives. Representatives and in the Senate. .
Unions and industry representatives closed a provisional agreement in September that provided for a 24% salary increase for employees, in addition to clauses to allow them to go to the doctor or attend family emergencies without being penalized, as the current system does, which does not includes sick days.
Workers from eight unions have voted in recent months in favor of this agreement, but four others have rejected it and, in recent days, have threatened to call a strike.
This agreement does not contemplate the possibility that workers continue to receive wages if they get sick for a few days and need to be absent from work.
Union leaders like Sean O’Brien have harshly criticized Democrats and Biden for forcing workers into a deal that doesn’t allow them to be paid while they’re sick.
“Railroads make record profits while workers get no sick days. Paid sick leave is a human right,” O’Brien said on Twitter.
In response to this criticism, Biden and his party have vowed to find ways to guarantee paid sick leave for all Americans, a move difficult to achieve because Republicans are against it and Democrats cannot pass it alone.
A disruption to rail transportation across the country, according to the White House, would negatively affect the economy and lead to further supply chain disruptions.
According to White House calculations, 765,000 people could lose their jobs in the first two weeks, and the economic impact of this stoppage could reach 2,000 million dollars (about 1,900 million euros) per day.
Source: TSF
