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U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 december 2022
House votes to avert rail strike, impose deal on unions

By KEVIN FREKING of the big railroads involved
and JOSH FUNK in these contract talks re-
Associated Press ported more than $1 billion
WASHINGTON (AP) — The profit in the third quarter.
U.S. House moved urgent- “Quite frankly, the fact
ly to head off the loom- that paid leave is not part
ing nationwide rail strike of the final agreement be-
on Wednesday, passing a tween railroads and labor
bill that would bind com- is, in my opinion, obscene,”
panies and workers to a said Rep. Jim McGovern,
proposed settlement that D-Mass. “It should be there
was reached in Septem- and I hope it will be there
ber but rejected by some at the end of this process.”
of the 12 unions involved. Most rail workers don’t re-
The measure passed by a ceive any paid sick time
vote of 290-137 and now but they do have short-term
heads to the Senate. If disability benefits that kick
approved there, it will be in after as little as four days
signed by President Joe and can replace some of
Biden, who urged the Sen- their income for a year or
ate to act swiftly. “Without more. Rail workers do re-
the certainty of a final vote ceive vacation and per-
to avoid a shutdown this sonal leave days, but work-
week, railroads will begin to ers say it’s difficult to use
halt the movement of criti- Freight train cars sit in a Norfolk Southern rail yard on Sept. 14, 2022, in Atlanta. those for illnesses because
cal materials like chemicals Associated Press they must typically be ap-
to clean our drinking water down by four of the 12 Pelosi responded to that roads say the unions have proved far ahead of time.
as soon as this weekend,” unions representing more concern by adding a sec- agreed in negotiations over Republicans also voiced
Biden said. “Let me say than 100,000 employees ond vote Wednesday that the decades to forgo paid support for the measure to
that again: without action at large freight rail carriers. would add seven days of sick time in favor of higher block the strike, but criti-
this week, disruptions to our The unions have threat- paid sick leave per year wages and strong short- cized the Biden administra-
auto supply chains, our abil- ened to strike if an agree- for rail workers covered un- term disability benefits. tion for turning to Congress
ity to move food to tables, ment can’t be reached der the agreement. How- The head of the Associa- to “step in to fix the mess.”
and our ability to remove before a Dec. 9 deadline. ever, it will take effect only tion of American Railroads “They’ve retreated in fail-
hazardous waste from gas- Lawmakers from both par- if the Senate goes along trade group said Tuesday ure and they kicked this
oline refineries will begin.” ties expressed reservations and passes both measures. that railroads would con- problem to Congress for us
Business groups including about overriding the nego- The House passed the sick sider adding paid sick time to decide,” said Rep. Sam
the U.S. Chamber of Com- tiations. And the interven- leave measure as well, but in the future, but said that Graves, R-Mo.
merce and the American tion was particularly difficult by a much narrower mar- change should wait for a Republicans criticized Pelo-
Farm Bureau Federation for Democratic lawmak- gin, 221-207, as Republi- new round of negotiations si’s decision to add the sick
have warned that halting ers who have traditionally cans overwhelmingly op- instead of being added leave bill to the mix. They
rail service would cause a sought to align themselves posed it, indicating that now, near the end of three said the Biden administra-
$2 billion per day hit to the with the politically powerful prospects for passage of years of contract talks. tion’s own special board of
economy. The bill would labor unions that criticized that add-on are slim in the The unions maintain that arbitrators recommended
impose a compromise la- Biden’s move to intervene evenly divided Senate. railroads can easily afford higher wages to compen-
bor agreement brokered in the contract dispute and The call for more paid sick to add paid sick time at a sate the unions for not in-
by the Biden administration block a strike. leave was a major sticking time when they are record- cluding sick time in its rec-
that was ultimately voted House Speaker Nancy point in the talks. The rail- ing record profits. Several ommendations. q

Raimondo: U.S. isn’t seeking to sever economic ties with China

By PAUL WISEMAN We want to promote trade Chinese imports in a dis-
AP Economics Writer and investment in areas pute over the strong-arm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The that don’t threaten our tactics including the al-
United States isn’t seeking core economic and na- leged theft of trade secrets
to sever economic ties with tional security interests or that Beijing has used to
China even as Washing- compromise human rights challenge America’s edge
ton takes steps to protect values.’’ in technology.
America’s technological Relations between the The Biden administration
and military prowess from world’s two biggest econ- has kept Trump’s tariffs and
Beijing, U.S. Commerce omies have chilled over has stepped up a cam-
Secretary Gina Raimondo the last decade, partly paign to keep the Chi-
said. because the communist nese from acquiring sensi-
Speaking to reporters in government in Beijing has tive technology that could
advance of a speech cracked down on dissent in speed its military buildup.
Wednesday on the Biden Hong Kong and on Muslims Most notable was the de-
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo speaks during administration’s China pol- in the northwestern region cision last month to block
the High-Level Economic Dialogue Second Annual Meeting in icy, Raimondo said: “We’re of Xinjiang. exports of advanced com-
Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. not seeking the decoupling President Donald Trump puter chips to China.q
Associated Press from China. imposed massive taxes on