Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Tentative Railway Labor Agreement

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the tentative railway labor agreement reached early this morning by unions representing thousands of workers and freight rail companies. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

Last night, as most Americans were in bed asleep, freight rail companies and unions representing tens of thousands of workers secured a tentative agreement that will keep the trains running on time and keep our economy moving.  

And the best part is that union leadership, representing tens of thousands of railway workers who have worked themselves to the bone over the course of the pandemic, seem to have secured the higher pay and better working conditions for their members. Railway workers have earned that pay and those benefits through blood, sweat, and tears and I hope it will make it easier for other workers in future negotiations to secure stronger benefits. 

This is exactly the sort of outcome that will keep our economy going, our supply chains running, and most importantly our workers well taken care of.

This episode is a reminder of an evergreen truth that people underappreciate even now: workers are what make the wheels of our economy turn, in this case literally.

I want to thank President Biden, Secretary Walsh – he was steadfast and dedicated and, a word that we’ve used for our Senate caucus – he persisted and persisted and persisted. And I want to thank every single union representative and rail worker who negotiated in good faith to reach this outcome.

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