Biden, Dems see both political, economic wins in rail deal

WASHINGTON — While President Joe Biden was quick to hail Thursday’s strike-averting rail agreement as a win for America, it was also a big win for him politically, allowing Democrats to sidestep what could have been an economic debacle before November’s midterm elections. The tentative deal, which still requires approval from a dozen unions, would raise members’ pay 24% over five years and improve work schedules and health care in a way that Biden said recognizes “the dignity of their work.” Railroad companies could continue vital operations and avoid a costly shutdown, while being in a better place to recruit and retain employees. “This agreement allows us to continue to rebuild a better America with an economy that truly works for working people and their families,” Biden said Thursday in celebratory remarks in the Rose Garden. “This is the best outcome the Biden administration could have hoped for,” said Jake Rosenfeld, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis who has researched the labor movement. In the speech that followed, Biden recognized that he wouldn’t be in the White House without the support of unions such as the UAW and the IBEW electrical workers, saying that autoworkers “brung me to the dance.” About 16% of voters in the 2020 election came from union households, which backed Biden 56% to 42% in the narrowly decided race, according to AP VoteCast.