Senate approves bill enforcing railroad labor agreement ahead of strike deadline, sends to Biden

An aerial view of shipping containers and freight railway trains at the BNSF Los Angeles Intermodal Facility rail yard in Los Angeles, California, September 15, 2022.

Legislation was passed by the Senate that would prevent a rail strike.

Adding seven days of paid sick leave was not voted on.

The bill was approved by a vote of 80 to 15 and now goes to the President, who had urged Congress to act quickly ahead of the strike deadline.

Biden said that a rail shutdown would ruin the economy and that he was reluctant to overrule the unions. Labor groups say that they don't have the right to strike.

The legislation, which was approved by the House on Wednesday, provides new contracts for railroad workers that give them a 24% pay increase over the course of five years.

The House voted to add seven days of paid sick leave to the contract. The Senate voted against it. Railroads and the unions have differing views on paid sick leave.

Some rail workers will quit if they don't get paid sick time, according to Jeremy Ferguson, president of SMART-TD.

Some people are going to do that. He said it was a possibility. I hope that isn't the case. If we are going to have adequate time off, we are going to need more employees and I want every member to stay employed.

The industry estimated that a strike would cost the US economy $2 billion a day. Rail movement of certain goods was going to be stopped as soon as this weekend in preparation for a strike.