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].
Moderator: This is a TRAINS site. Please screen out these constant political screeds. Regarding: Landry and Noyes.
Unfortunately, once the Government gets involved in rail labor negotiations(i.e. Presidential Emergency Board), then the topic of politics inevitably is included as it is quite relevant. Having said that, the above almost does nothing to further the discussion of governments intervention in the current round of negotiations. I do think the length of the contracts needs to be extended to 10 years though, like the new ones in the major pro sports leagues.
I am appalled by Mr. Landey’s comments regarding White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. I have always found her to be well spoken in her television appearances. Anyway, I do not see how this has anything to do with the issue at hand, a potential railroad strike.
Obviously, you watch carefully edited television not the raw live footage. Thrilled she broke some glass ceiling when she was appointed, but can you imagine now that the white Irish president should recognize the error of his action , the hullabaloo of racial discrimination that would ensue?
Yes, more bloviating spin and incoherent babble from the clueless and inarticulate W.H. Press Secretary, KJP.
The Biden administration is most mercifully unencumbered by the ravages of intelligence …..
I think a short strike,stopped quickly by Congress,is inevitable.
The rank and file are just to fed up from years of abuse and need to vent.
That’s a larger number of coherent sentences than Karine has come up with in her entire life. She must have been reading it from a prepared statement.