Congressman García Votes in Support of Rail Workers
Paid sick leave should be a right, not a negotiation chip.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), the senior-most member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure from the Illinois delegation, co-founder of the Future of Transportation Caucus, and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Labor Caucus, released the following statement on House passage of an updated agreement to avert a rail strike that guarantees seven days of paid sick leave for rail workers.
“Let’s be clear: today’s vote represents the floor, not the ceiling.
“Rail workers – like all our union workers across the trades – always get the job done. Whether it's the incredible heat of the southwest or the bitter cold winters in cities like Chicago – they never stop. And if there is one thing the pandemic taught us, it's that we can't keep treating them like they’re expendable.
“A rail strike is untenable and so is a world where rail workers are forced to go to work sick or penalized if they take a day off when ill. Paid sick leave should be a right, not a negotiation chip.
“Chicagoans live and work in the heart and center of America’s rail network. This isn’t abstract for me or my neighbors. We see these hard-working men and women getting the job done rain, shine, or snow.
“Progressives took the lead to guarantee sick leave for a simple reason: all workers deserve to be treated with dignity and that means paid sick leave. Now that the House has passed this legislation, I hope our Senate colleagues will follow suit.”
Video of Congressman García’s floor speech can be watched here.