WASHINGTON — Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that the Biden Administration “is in regular contact” with the two sides in the ongoing dispute and negotiations between railroads and their unions, but that she did not have anything to share about President Joe Biden’s “involvement specifically with the parties.”
During a press briefing at the White House, Jean-Pierre was asked about administration reaction to the news that Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen had voted down its tentative contract agreement [see “Signalmen’s union rejects contract …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 26, 2022] and whether the White House was concerned a rail strike was ahead.
“As the President has said for months, any shutdown would be completely unacceptable,” Jean-Pierre said. “ It is the responsibility of the parties involved to resolve this issue. And that … any idea that kicking this to Congress will result in a quick or favorable outcome is just deeply misguided. That is our view from here.
“These unions’ rejection of the current proposed contract does not mean we face an immediate rail shutdown. That’s not how we view it. But it does mean that the union and the employers have additional work to do. …
“We stand ready, as we did earlier this year, to support the parties in their efforts. We continue to urge both sides to work in good faith and avoid even the threat of a shutdown. We remain laser-focused, as before, on taking any appropriate steps to ensure that America’s rail system keeps moving so our families don’t have to suffer from this.
“We continue to urge, again, both sides … to really operate in good faith.”
The Biden Administration took an active role in negotiations that led to tentative agreements between the railroads and three unions on Sept. 15, with Biden calling during negotiations and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su later credited with a significant role [see “Details emerge of 20-hour meeting …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 16, 2022].
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