Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
In September, the government of President Joe Biden reached a preliminary agreement to stop the threat of a train strike , but not having a complete response to the requests asked Congress to act on the matter.
In In the House of Representatives, some Republicans joined Democrats in avoiding the strike and providing workers with seven days of paid sick leave
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Now the ball is in the court of the Senate, where the majority leader, Chuck Schumer (New York), asked the Republicans to join the strategy to stop the strike.
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“ Last night [Wednesday] I invoked the Rule 12 to place that resolution directly on the Legislative Calendar,” Schumer said in the full. “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 some of our fellow Republicans will join us,” he insisted.
The legislation requires 800 votes. The Democrats fall short.
“Forcing workers to choose between their health and their livelihood is unacceptable and, for that reason, the Democrats , myself included, we believe that it should be included”, he insisted.
December 9 is the date that the railway unions established for the strike.
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Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), said that An agreement could be reached this Thursday.
“I think we are about to reach an agreement,” he said briefly before journalists.
President Biden had to ask Congress to act, while the railway workers reject a step back, especially since the president said he sympathized with the required sick days. “No one should choose work over healthcare,” Biden said a few days ago.
The first agreements include salary increases of up to 23%, but the greatest 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, millions of dollars, according to experts, when the transport of people and merchandise stopped.
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