U.S. President Joe Biden faces a deadline next week to intervene in nationwide U.S. railroad labor talks covering 115,000 workers, or open the door to a potential strike or lockout that could threaten an already fragile economy and choke supplies of food and fuel.
The stakes are high for Biden, who wants to tackle inflation-stoking supply-chain woes and is already working to reach a deal in the critical labor talks at West Coast seaports.
If the president declines to intercede in the railroad labor negotiations by appointing a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) before 12:01 a.m. EDT on Monday, the railroads and unions could opt for operational shutdowns or strikes, respectively. If appointed, the board would make recommendations that could be used as a framework for a voluntary settlement.
A White House official told Reuters the administration “is going through the standard process that has been used in the past when considering a PEB.” The White House declined further comment.
Parties in the current talks expect Biden to appoint a board as President Barack Obama did to help resolve a wage and healthcare benefit standoff at the largest freight railroads in 2011.
“People in the executive branch and in Congress know how vital our freight rail system is to our economy,” said Greg Regan, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department that represents several railroad unions.
