International
US rail companies, unions reach ‘tentative’ deal to avert strike
AFP | by Julie CHABANAS / Sebastian Smith
A jubilant President Joe Biden announced a tentative deal Thursday to avoid a crippling strike by railroad unions following all-night talks as the clock ran down on threats to disrupt US supply chains in the run-up to midterm elections.
“It feels good!” Biden told a tired-looking group of negotiators invited into the Oval Office after their sleepless night. “They should be home in bed,” he said.
Biden, who was personally calling into the negotiations as late as 9:00 pm on Wednesday, issued a pre-dawn statement announcing the preliminary resolution, which allows for a 24 percent wage increase between 2020 and 2024, including an immediate payout.
At a hastily organized celebration in the Rose Garden, Biden called the agreement “a big win for America” and said the “dignity” of railroad workers had been honored.
The deal was a relief after worries that a Friday deadline would trigger nationwide stoppages, snarling critical supplies to an economy in the midst of a jittery recovery from the Covid-era shutdown.
For Biden personally, a strike would have been politically damaging as he tries to steer his Democratic party’s uphill bid to hold on to Congress in November, with Republicans focusing heavily on high inflation.
Biden, in his initial statement, said “the hard work done to reach this tentative agreement means that our economy can avert the significant damage any shutdown would have brought.”
“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned.”
The Association of American Railroads, which represents the nation’s freight railroads, welcomed the deal.
Major freight carrier Union Pacific said it “looks forward to the unions ratifying these agreements and working with employees as we focus on restoring supply chain fluidity.”
All-nighter
In the West Wing, exhausted staffers recounted an all-nighter which saw cabinet secretaries huddle with union leaders and rail executives at the Labor Department building.
“There were 20 plus hours in negotiations. At no point did anyone ever get to go home,” a senior official told reporters.
At 9:00 pm Wednesday, Biden called in and “his message was we have to get agreement — a shutdown is unacceptable — and that they need to respond in good faith to each other.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg made calls “throughout the day and night” and at 2:00 am, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh “called the White House and said it looks like a deal is coming together,” the official said.
Final details were ironed out, one of the union boards was woken at 3:00 am and two hours later the deal was announced.
“Failure was not an option,” the official said.
Inflation fears
Polls show voters are worried about soaring prices in the post-pandemic economy, where supply chain issues have been a constant scourge and annual inflation has surged to a 40-year high.
The Association of American Railroads had warned that a strike would bring 7,000 trains to a halt, costing $2 billion a day.
Farmers and retailers had warned that a strike would hit US supply chains already battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There is no real substitute for moving agricultural goods,” warned American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall.
Recognizing the danger, Biden had appointed an arbitration panel back in July to facilitate the negotiations. Asked by reporters in the Rose Garden what Americans should do about rapidly rising food prices and other inflation, he said the railroad deal would bring relief.
“Rail’s moving and (inflation) is not going to go up,” Biden said.
Amtrak, the US rail passenger operator, which had announced plans to cancel long-distance train services if freight workers went on strike, said it would immediately get trains rolling again.
“Amtrak is working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures,” it said in a statement.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International3 days agoColombia sees deadliest surge in violence since FARC peace deal
-
International4 days agoNine dead after driver runs over crowd at Vancouver Street Festival
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
-
International3 days agoConclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
-
International4 days agoKing Charles III expresses deep sadness after Vancouver festival tragedy that left nine dead
-
International3 days agoSpain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
-
International3 days agoMexican activist who exposed pornography ring found dead in Veracruz
-
International3 days agoMadrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
-
International1 day agoVatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
-
International1 day agoKristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
-
Internacionales8 hours agoClashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
-
International8 hours agoMan arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka