Seventy members of Congress send letter to Biden urging action on railroader sick leave

December 9, 2022

More than five dozen Democratic members of the U.S. Senate and the House sent a letter to President Joe Biden advocating that the government guaranteed paid sick leave for freight rail workers.

“It is literally beyond belief that rail workers are not guaranteed this basic and fundamental human right. Therefore, we urge you and your administration to do everything within your authority to guarantee rail workers the seven paid sick days that they desperately need through executive action.,” the letter stated.

“Through Executive Order, agency rulemaking, and any other applicable authority, we ask that you take quick and decisive action to guarantee these workers paid sick leave.”

The release of the letter comes before a Dec. 13 rally scheduled to take place on Capitol Hill organized by SMART-TD and other rail-labor organizations in the wake of federal imposition of a National Rail Agreement on Dec. 2 that was rejected by SMART-TD operating crafts.

Read the letter below.