"Catastrophic" US rail strike averted after Biden signs bill blocking job action | FULL

U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters and the American public that "we've avoided a catastrophic rail strike" as he signed legislation Friday to block a national railroad strike.

The U.S. Senate voted 80 to 15 on Thursday to impose a tentative contract deal reached in September on a dozen unions representing 115,000 workers, who could have gone on strike on Dec. 9.

But the Senate failed to approve a measure that would have provided paid sick days to railroad workers.

Eight of 12 unions had ratified the deal. But some labour leaders have criticized Biden, a self-described friend of labour, for asking Congress to impose a contract that workers in four unions have rejected over a lack of paid sick leave.

A rail strike could have frozen almost 30 per cent of U.S. cargo shipments by weight, stoked already surging inflation, cost the American economy as much as US$2 billion a day, and stranded millions of rail passengers.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9321091/u-s-rail-strike-joe-biden-averted/

Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews #biden #railstrike