OOPS! — Biden’s “Victory Lap” Came Too Soon!

Biden’s Union Strike Victory Lap Came Too Soon

(RightWing.org) – President Joe Biden signed an executive order in July creating a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve an ongoing dispute between major rail carriers and unions. Then, on September 15, the president praised Labor Secretary Marty Walsh’s role in helping reach a tentative labor agreement between workers and railway companies during a Rose Garden media address. However, recent developments indicate Biden’s victory lap came too soon.

On October 10, the Teamsters Union’s Brotherhood of Maintenance of Ways Employees Division (BMWED) issued a press release announcing that its membership voted to reject ratification of the White House-brokered agreement. BMWED members overwhelmingly rejected the tentative measure by a margin of 6,646 to 5,100.

One of the nation’s largest railroad unions has rejected a contract brokered by President Biden, raising the prospect of a freight-rail strike that could cripple the U.S. economy just before the holiday season.https://t.co/nFgjm6Bx0V

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 12, 2022

The move by BMWED members sends both sides back to the negotiating table, reigniting fears of a possible nationwide strike. With a membership of about 12,000 people, the labor group represents about one-third of the nation’s unionized railway workers. This is enough to spark concerns that a potential strike could decimate the country’s already struggling economy.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) posted a statement on his Twitter account warning Americans to “get ready for prices to go even higher” if a strike occurs.

Uh-oh. Joe Biden’s tentative railroad union deal fell apart on Monday.

Strike imminent?

If so, get ready for prices to go even higher.

— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 11, 2022

Workers can’t strike until late November when the designated cooling-off period expires. A worker walkout could spark massive inflation and tank the nation’s economy as it heads into the holiday season, the year’s busiest time for many retailers.