Georgia ∙ Early voting for the runoff for the US Senate seat to be held on December 6 saw heavy turnout on Saturday and Sunday. Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock is expected to retain his seat.
The influx of money during campaign days is evident. It is estimated that Warnock still has $30 million in his war chest and $10 million in his opponent Republican Herschel Walker’s campaign fund.
Warnock is predicted to have a one point lead. Voters are not greatly tempted in a typical runoff. But this match is very hot.
Currently, the partisanship in the Senate is 50:50. With one more seat, Democrats could pass the bills in the Senate with 51 votes without Vice President Kamala Harris’ casting vote. But it remains to be seen how the Republicans will react to these bills in the House of Representatives with a majority of 222-216. (Projected results are for two seats to know the result.)
Rail unions are rejecting the claims of President Joe Biden, who describes himself as The Most Pro Union President. They are preparing for a freight rail strike before Christmas. The actions speak for themselves. Don’t Tell Me What You Are Show Me What You Are, said Ross Gutters, a railroad engineer from Iowa and co-chair of Railroad Workers United.
There are four issues behind the rail road strike. Resume new contract negotiations with rail carriers and 12 rail unions that have been stalled for three years. In September, eight unions voted to approve the contract with the help of the Biden administration, but four other unions rejected it. Paid sick leave is the main issue that has become rife. Time off, which was urgently needed, also remained a problem. The Smart Transportation Division, which has 28,000 conductor members, refused to sign.
Economically the problems that a rail strike or lockout would create are enormous. During the holiday season, freight traffic can only move in time to deliver food and other critical items such as medicine. Those concerned say that if a settlement is not reached before December 9, there will be a strike or lock down.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the necessary legislation would begin soon. Biden proposed a 24% wage increase over 5 years, a $5,000 bonus, volunteer days off and a paid day off. In 1992, before this, the Congress intervened to avert a rail strike. Biden was one of the 6 senators who voted against ending the strike. According to estimates by the US Chamber of Commerce, if a rail strike occurs, thousands of people will lose their jobs.
The movement of food and critical goods will come to a standstill. Every day there will be a loss of two billion dollars to the economy. 7,65,000 Americans will lose their jobs in two weeks.