Here’s what to know about a situation that almost shut down the country.
In the last week , you may have watch dozens of headlines warning of a national track smasher and the subsequent chaos it would cause . Fortunately , the strikewas forefend after a 20 - hour negotiating session between unions and management . In a statement on Thursday , President Joe Biden addressed the resolution .
" This agreement is validation — validation of what I ’ve always believed . Unions and management can crop together , can lick together for the welfare of everyone , " Biden said , consort to NPR . He made a earphone call to union and management representatives on Wednesday night , urging the two groups to number to a answer .
The threat of strike already causedAmtrak to cancelall long distance routes on Wednesday . Now , having reached an understanding just before the deadline for contract negotiations on Friday , those routes will be total back online before long , according toThe San Luis Obispo Times .
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Had an accord not been reach , not only would rider string have been stopped , so would freight caravan . In that scenario , essential goods that normally were transported across the country by rail would also be halted . The economical and consumer wallop of such a spot would have not only harmed the economy at large , but it would also make basic necessities not only unaffordable but scarce .
Now that a muckle has been made , union members will need to vote to formally ratify the agreement in the coming week . The agreement will let in raises for rails proletarian and , most significantly , adept sick leave of absence insurance policy — previous rough policieswere driving away workers with decade of experience because they did n’t have sentence to care for medical exit and category emergencies .
“ These railroad line are making one thousand million of dollars . In the past , we ’ve been well correct for being on call 24/7 , 365 day a year . That ’s been erode over the course of my career in the last two decades to where it ’s just not appeal enough to attract people into the work , ” Ross Grooters , a locomotor locomotive engineer , toldThe Guardian .
