Republicans flirt with economic populism in rail labor conflict

[Free Vulcan]

That split largely followed party lines, but most notable was the six Republican senators who voted with Democrats to add the additional days of sick leave, a measure that still failed 52 to 43.

Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Braun (R-WI), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) voted for the paid leave, bucking the prevailing Republican view that it's not Congress's place to rewrite a contract already negotiated by the White House.

"I believe the rail workers are making reasonable requests that should be adequately addressed. For that reason, I voted to increase the number of paid sick days for rail workers," Cruz said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the Senate rejected this measure, so I opposed the final deal."

Rubio has become a prime example of the rise of economic populism in the Republican Party, saying ahead of the vote that he would not back any deal that lacks the support of rail workers.

“Just because Congress has the authority to impose a heavy-handed solution does not mean we should. It is wrong for the Biden Administration, which has failed to fight for workers, to ask Congress to impose a deal the workers themselves have rejected. I will not vote for any deal that does not have the support of the rail workers,” Rubio said in a statement Wednesday.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/overnight-republicans-flirt-economic-populism-rail-labor-conflict

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The Reps could have made hay here, and they refused.

[Fishrrman]

The "side-bill" that would have inserted language into the agreement to force sick days upon the companies was probably destined to fail.

What MIGHT have worked better was for the Congress to pass a side-bill that forced the parties into binding arbitration on this issue alone.

Thus, "a neutral" would be chosen to gather facts and rule on the issue, one way or the other. And the decision would be binding on both parties (the railroads and the unions).

This way, whatever decision was handed down would not be the direct doings of the members of Congress. Like Pilate washin' his hands...

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Remind me why the government is getting involved here at all?

[Kamaji]

Remind me why the government is getting involved here at all?

 Because this is part of the rail labor act mechanism for preventing rail strikes.  It’s been that way for a long, long time.