A rail employee works a Union Pacific Intermodal Terminal rail yard on November 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario Tama | Getty Images
The House passed legislation Wednesday that would force a tentative rail labor agreement and thwart a national strike. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also plans to hold a separate vote to add seven days of paid sick leave to the agreement.
The legislation then goes to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has promised swift passage.
The 290-137 vote comes after President Joe Biden called on Congress to intervene in the stalled talks between railroads and some of the industry’s major unions. He met with the four House and Senate leaders Tuesday in an effort to avoid the economic impacts of a rail strike, which the industry forecasts could cost the U.S. economy $2 billion per day.
Biden has said he’s reluctant to override the vote…
