Freight rail companies and unions representing tens of thousands of workers reached a tentative agreement to avoid what would have been an economically damaging strike, after all-night talks brokered by Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh, President Biden said early morning Sept. 15.
The agreement now heads to union members for a ratification vote, which is a standard procedure in labor talks. While the vote is tallied, workers have agreed not to strike.
The talks brokered by Walsh began on the morning of Sept. 14 and lasted 20 hours, reports The New York Times. Biden called in around 9 p.m. Sept. 14, a person familiar with the talks said, and he hailed the deal on Sept. 15 in a statement.
“The tentative agreement reached tonight is an important win for our economy and the American people,” Biden said. “It is a win for tens of thousands of rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that America’s families and communities got deliveries of what have kept us going during these difficult years.”
The White House did not immediately release details of the agreement. Talks had stalled over a push for companies to improve working conditions, including allowing workers to take unpaid leave to visit physicians.
The Association of American Railroads, an industry group, thanked the unions and Biden administration officials — including Walsh, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack — for helping to bring the deal together.
