Because of the law, the House was able to vote Wednesday to impose unpopular contracts on four rail unions whose members have already rejected the terms, followed by a Senate vote late Thursday that did the same.
that would have shut down about 30% of the nation's freight shipments. A prolonged strike would have caused shortage of a wide range of items, from food to gasoline to automobiles, and likely resulted in a spike in prices.
"The goal of the Railway Labor Act was to reduce the likelihood of a work stoppage," said Ian Jefferies, the CEO of the Association of American Railroads, the trade group that represents the railroads. "And it's been remarkably effective in doing that." "This action prevents us from reaching the end of our process, takes away the strength and ability that we have to force bargaining or force the railroads to...do the right thing," said Michael Baldwin, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, one of the four unions whose members voted against the tentative agreements reached last fall that Congress is now poised to impose on members.
"During the ratification votes, the Secretaries of Labor, Agriculture, and Transportation have been in regular touch with labor leaders and management," he said. "They believe that there is no path to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table." "As a proud pro-labor President, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement," he said in his statement Monday night calling for Congressional action.
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