Democrats need Republicans in the Senate to avoid train strike on December 9

In September, The Government of President Joe Biden reached a preliminary agreement to stop the threat of a train strikebut not having a complete response to the petitions, he asked Congress to act on it.

In the House of Representatives, some Republicans joined Democrats in preventing the strike and provide workers with seven days of paid sick leave.

The ball is now in the court of the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York) called on Republicans to join the strategy to stop the strike.

“Last night [miercoles] I invoked Rule 14 to place that resolution directly on the Legislative Calendar,” Schumer said in plenary. “The Senate can’t leave until we finish the job.and the Democrats will continue to work with the Republicans to find a way forward that everyone can support.”

The Democratic leader insisted that paid sick leave is a priority for rail workers.

“I support paid sick leave, my fellow Democrats support paid sick leave, and we want to see it included in the package. We hope that some of our fellow Republicans will join us,” he insisted.

The legislation requires 60 votes. The Democrats fall short.

“Forcing workers to choose between their health and their livelihood is unacceptable, and for that reason, Democrats, myself included, believe it should be included,” he insisted.

December 9 is the date the railway unions set for the strike.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) said a deal could be reached as early as Thursday.

“I think we are about to reach an agreement,” he told reporters succinctly.

President Biden had to ask Congress to act, while rail workers are rejecting a step back, especially since the president said he sympathized with the demand for sick days. “No one should choose work over healthcare,” Biden said a few days ago.

The first agreements include salary increases of up to 24%, but the biggest requirement is sick days.

“It is not enough to ‘share workers’ concerns,’” ​​said a statement from the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, which represents some 23,000 road maintenance workers.

A train strike could mean daily losses for the US of up to $2 billion dollars, according to experts, by stopping the transport of people and goods.

Source: La Opinion