‘Economic Catastrophe’: Democrats Face Tough Choices Over Rail Strike, Potential Political Fallout

Congressional Democrats are facing tough calls over an impending strike of rail workers, which observers fear could cause an economic catastrophe for the United States’ already strained supply chain.

Railroad workers’ unions and major U.S. railroad services over the past several weeks have been involved in negotiations over wages and the railroads’ strict attendance policies, which limit workers from taking sick days.

Under current law, the right to strike is recognized, but rail workers will not be permitted to begin a strike until Sept. 16, which is only a few days away. The strike would be legally permissible because it falls 30 days after the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) released guidance for negotiations, calling for a substantial pay bump, back pay, and cash bonuses.

However, railroad unions say their workers will not vote in favor of the PEB recommendations because they do not address one of workers’ largest complaints: the strict attendance policy enforced by many major railroad companies. The companies, meanwhile, are anxious to ratify the PEB recommendations, which they say is a fair compromise.

Over the past year, the U.S. supply line has faced a series of challenges and shortages. A railroad workers’ strike, observers fear, would reverse any progress that has been made in restoring the integrity of the still-fragile supply chain.

Though they still have a few days to hammer out a deal, or at least to extend the striking deadline, some railroads are already cutting back on traffic in preparation for the strike—placing pressure on Congress to act quickly.

Democrats Face Political Dilemma

For Democrats, who have long portrayed themselves as pro-working class and pro-union, the situation is a tough dilemma for the party. If Democrats find themselves forced to legally bar the strike from moving forward, it may alienate large swaths of their base ahead of crucial midterm

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