Biden pushed railways, unions to 'be creative' and 'flexible' to reach a deal, White House says

President Joe Biden urged railway executives and national leaders to beryllium originative and flexible successful uncovering a compromise to debar a shutdown that could person disrupted the transport of goods crossed the U.S., White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"The president's connection -- it was precise wide -- we indispensable get a woody done," Jean-Pierre told reporters astatine a property briefing Thursday. "He pushed them erstwhile again to admit the harm that would deed families, farmers, businesses and full communities if determination was a shutdown. He asked them to beryllium creative, to beryllium flexible, conscionable the others halfway arsenic well, and helium emphasized however important the economical impacts could be."

In negotiations that lasted astir 20 hours, the Biden administration, including the president himself. on with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, to reach a deal earlier the Friday deadline.

"You person to retrieve what we averted here," Jean-Pierre said. "This would person been devastating for our economy, devastating for our proviso chains."

About 40% of the nation's long-distance commercialized is moved by rail. If the unions had gone connected strike, much than 7,000 trains would person been idled, costing up to an estimated $2 cardinal per day. The White House had been successful talks with railroad workers' unions and companies for several months, but negotiations hinged connected the contented of unpaid sick time.

Tentative agreements were reached aboriginal Thursday greeting with the large unions which collectively correspond astir 60,000 employees: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division, and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.