President Joe Biden signed a bill Friday to prevent freight rail workers from striking, which he said would have devastated the economy. A strike could have occurred on Dec. 9, had Congress not moved quickly this week to approve legislation to avert a walkout. But lawmakers did not pass a provision providing paid sick leave for workers, which is something unions were fighting for.
“It was a tough vote for members of both parties. It was a tough vote for me. But it was the right thing to do at the moment. To save jobs. To prevent millions of working families from harm and disruption and to keep supply chains stable around the holidays. And to continue the progress we’ve made and continue to see on the economy,” said Biden.
The president also touted Friday’s jobs report, which showed the labor market remains resilient with 263,000 new jobs added to the economy in November, which was more than expected. Worker wages also rose at a faster pace and the nation’s unemployment held steady at 3.7%.
A law that would protect workers in the event of mass layoffs would take effect immediately under a bill approved by a Senate committee this week. In 2020, New Jersey enacted the law that would require severance pay and advance notification ahead of such layoffs, but the law was put on hold when COVID-19 hit. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Joe Cryan (D-Union), says now that the public health crisis is subsiding, it’s time to put the worker protections in place.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge to the Biden administration’s proposed student debt relief program. In agreeing to take up the case, the court kept in place an injunction that prevents the White House from moving forward with debt relief. The justices will consider the case in February. Student loan debt repayments remain on hold pending the litigation.
