An imminent strike by the US railworkers was averted after the Congress voted on legislation on a deal struck in September between workers and rail companies.
The Senate approved a bill that will bind the companies and workers to the settlement thereby avoiding a crippling strike. It would have potentially cost $2 billion a day in losses for the US economy.
Unions were apparently not happy that not enough paid sick leave for workers was included in employment contracts. US President Biden wants paid leave for everyone while Republicans were blocking measures for paid time off for medical and family reasons.
The US railway network is still the backbone of the economy. Unions argued rail companies can afford to add paid sick leave, because many of the big ones reported more than $1 billion in profits.