White House Weighs Emergency Decree to Keep Vital Goods on Rails If There’s a Strike
- Close to 125,000 works could strike if no deal reached
- Stoppage would hit weeks before November midterm elections
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The White House is considering the use of emergency powers to ensure critical materials, such as chlorine for wastewater treatment plants, can be delivered in the event of a freight-rail worker strike in order to avoid devastating disruptions to services.
White House aides and Cabinet officials spent Tuesday reviewing contingency plans for a work stoppage, including outreach to shippers, truckers and air-freight lines to keep goods moving, according to a White House official who requested anonymity to discuss the talks.