Workers and their unions say the deal doesn't do enough to address their quality-of-life concerns and doesn't add any sick days.
Many businesses rely on railroads to deliver raw materials and ship their final products, so a rail strike would send a catastrophic ripple through the economy. Passenger railroads also would be disrupted because so many use tracks owned by the freight railroads.
The railroads refused to add paid sick days to the deal at the end of three years of negotiations because they didn’t want to pay much more than a special board of arbitrators appointed by Biden recommended this summer. Plus, the railroads say the unions have agreed over the years to forego paid sick leave in favor of higher wages and strong short-term disability benefits that kick in after as little as four days.
Activists in support of unionized rail workers protest outside the U.S. Capitol Building on November 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. "You hear when you hire out on the railroad you’re going to miss some things. But you’re not supposed to miss everything," said Kurtz, who remains active even in retirement with the Railroad Workers United coalition that includes workers from every union. "You shouldn’t miss your kids growing up. You shouldn’t miss the seminal moments in your family’s life."
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