Biden vs. the rail workers

Episode 101 Sneak Peek

Today, a tale in two tweets:

Jonah Furman @JonahFurman

Full sellout from the White House for the majority of rail workers who rejected the deal the President brokered, preemptively denying them the right to strike. This was the “which side are you on?” moment, and the White House chose the railroad bosses.

whitehouse.govStatement from President Joe Biden on Averting a Rail Shutdown | The White HouseI am calling on Congress to pass legislation immediately to adopt the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers and operators – without any

And then . . .

Marco Rubio @marcorubio

The railways & workers should go back & negotiate a deal that the workers,not just the union bosses,will accept But if Congress is forced to do it,I will not vote to impose a deal that doesn’t have the support of the rail workers

Those who tuned into our last episode already know how we feel: you literally never have to hand it to Marco Rubio. But seriously, how out of step with the labor movement do you have to be — while holding the highest office for a party that claims to represent it — to come off worse than Marco Rubio on a struggle for workers’ most basic rights? If it’s not too painful to think back to his 2020 campaign, remember how Biden positioned himself as a champion for workers, and how much of his argument depended on performances and gestures, not plans for healthcare, pay, and time off. Now, “to avert a potentially crippling rail shutdown,” he’s asking Congress to lock in a deal between railroad bosses and workers that many workers say they can’t live with. How does this fit or break with the actions on labor we’ve seen from this White House in the past two years? Where could the railroad upheaval be headed next? And if it comes to a Congress vote, like Biden wants, what will come from that?

All big questions to bring to a sharp and powerful voice on the labor movement. That’s why we’re welcoming Jonah Furman back to the show after previously having him on to explain the John Deere strike a little over a year ago. We hope you’ll join us for an insightful conversation about the current interactions between the president and the labor movement in the United States, as well as our usual hot takes on the latest in politics and culture. See you soon!

Remember that you can watch the episode on Friday if you become a paying subscriber. For $5 a month, you can help keep us ad-free (thanks to all those who contribute!). Everyone else, we’re so glad you’re here to listen, and we hope you enjoy when the episode goes to streaming on Saturday afternoon.