House Passes Bill to Avert US Rail Strike, Impose Labor Contract

The House passed legislation aimed at averting a crippling nationwide US freight rail strike, sending it to the Senate, which could take action as soon as this week.  The bill, passed Wednesday on a 290-137 bipartisan vote, would impose a labor agreement hammered out by rail companies, labor leaders and the Biden administration months ago but rejected by workers in four of 12 unions.  The House also is voting on related legislation which would revise the deal to add seven days of paid sick leave to the contract, meeting the demands of workers. If the House passes that related measure, the Senate could choose to go along with the change or ignore it.  The separate vote on the sick leave measure was agreed to after talks between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive House Democrats, who threatened to oppose the rule governing debate on the legislation, which typically needs Democratic unity to pass. Quick Senate action on the bill, H.J. Res 100, will depend on obtaining unanimous consent to waive days of standard procedural delays on floor votes.