Joe Biden and his White House took another undeserved victory lap on Thursday when negotiators for 13 railroad unions and the largest freight rail carriers reached a labor agreement and avoided a strike. Politico didn’t miss its chance to leg-hump Joe’s leg when it claimed Biden “interceded” to bring the parties to terms. No, he didn’t. According to a union source who spoke to RedState, Biden simply suggested that the parties both “wanted something” so…sign an agreement. Since Biden has the personality and personal charm of jellyfish there is no chance that negotiators were swayed by anything Biden said. But union hacks praised Biden because Joe is “their man.” In fact, the terms agreed to are pretty close to the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board which was convened pursuant to the Railway Labor Act enacted in 1926. The board made its recommendations in July and the parties have been negotiating since. All Biden did was sign the order to authorize the Board.
In point of fact, on Wednesday, there wasn’t a lot left to haggle over — mostly the disagreement was over sick day leave. The unions have been out-of-contract since 2019, so if anyone thinks that the unions and freight lines started talking on Wednesday, I have a bridge to sell you. That isn’t how any of this works.
Although the agreement was struck, members have to vote on the terms. The country avoided literally shutting down. Unless there was a deal or Congress intervened, the country would have quickly come to a standstill. So, simply, all parties agreed to terms. This, as they say, isn’t rocket science. Biden had nothing to do with the settlement other than (with the help of lapdog media) taking credit for it. Politico called it another “major win” for Biden. It’s a win for the country because had the sides not agreed, the country would have come to a screeching halt. The negotiators knew that and settled. Biden appeared at the White House to “reveal” that the sides had come to terms. Union guys made sure to give Biden an “atta-boy”.
I remember as a boy watching a railroad union spokesman on TV. He was telling reporters that he had gotten a letter from a mother begging for a settlement because she didn’t want Christmas ruined — and that was why the union had settled. I actually believed that until my dad disabused me of that fiction. “He’s lying, Jim. It’s all theater.”
Biden talking credit for this settlement is all theater.
He should take his junior conductor’s hat and choo-choo set and go away.