US Senate approves bill to avoid a strike in the rail sector

The United States Senate gave the green light this Thursday to a bill that forces railway companies and the workers of the sector to accept an agreement to avoid a generalized strike that harms the US economy.

The text, which was already approved in the House of Representatives on Wednesday with 290 votes in favor compared to 137 against, has had the support of 80 senators compared to 15 who have rejected it, according to CNN.

Shortly after knowing its approval by Congress, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, thanked all those who have supported the bill “to avoid the closure of trains”, as reported by the White House in a statement .

“Decisive action by Congress ensures that we will avoid imminent and devastating economic consequences for workers, families and communities across the country,” he said, adding that he would sign the text “as soon as Congress” sends it to his desk.

Biden He stressed that the agreement “will increase workers’ wages by 24 percent,” as well as medical care, among others. Likewise, he added that his fight for days of paid sick leave in the sector “continues.”

This week’s bipartisan action brings our economy back from the brink of a devastating shutdown that would have hurt millions of families and unionized workers in countless industries,” Trump said.

The unions had threatened to go on strike if an agreement for the sector was not reached before December 1. This text provides seven days of paid sick leave instead of one, which was the main disagreement of the various unions representing railway workers.

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