US President Joe Biden called on US Congress to intervene to prevent a rail strike before next month's deadline in stalled contract talks and said the strike would have devastating effects on the US economy.
The Guardian, a British newspaper, said that Biden's move comes in light of businessmen's warning that the looming strike could take place before the holiday season and exacerbate US inflation problems.
"Let's be clear: stopping the trains will destroy our economy," Biden said in a statement. "Without railroads, many American industries will shut down."
The strike comes after the negotiations that have been going on for a long time reached a dead end, and both parties agreed that the calm period will end next week.
Congress has the power to impose contract terms on workers, but it is not clear whether lawmakers would include them if they did. They could force the negotiations to continue into the new year.
The Associated Press reported that the rail strike could cost the US economy $2 billion a day, according to a report earlier this fall.
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