RAIL STRIKE AVERTED
U.S. Rail Strike Averted For Now As Biden Steps In Before Sunday’s Deadline
excerpted from law360 and DairHerd.com
As a Sunday deadline loomed in ongoing labor discussions between rail carriers and unions, U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order to create a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). The move was an essential step in keeping the collective bargaining process on track, as well as keeping the nation’s railways operating.
President Joseph Biden moved Friday to avert a possible strike by more than 100,000 freight rail workers, empaneling a three-member board to help broker a deal between rail unions and carriers.
By creating a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), the Biden administration heads off any potential disruption that could have occurred upon the expiration at midnight Sunday of a National Mediation Board–mandated cooling off period. The executive order prevents the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen from striking and 12 other unions from engaging in secondary picketing, encompassing 155,000 workers.
