WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2022) President Joe Biden is confident that there will not be a nationwide rail strike in the United States, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
"(Biden) He said to me that he is confident that we will not have a rail strike. That is what he's confident about," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing aboard Air Force One.
According to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), a nationwide rail strike could cost the US economy $2 billion per day, and it may potentially begin as early as December 9 if not all rail worker unions agree to an agreement with rail operators.
Eight of the 12 labor unions plus a portion of one of the largest US rail unions, SMART-TD, have now fully agreed to contracts forged in part by the leadership of the Biden administration. These deals provide employees with a 24% wage increase over the five-year period from 2020 to 2024 and preserve employees' healthcare coverage, according to the AAR.
