#shorts On 11/24/2022, Joe Biden told reporters in Nantucket, “I have not directly engaged” in rail strike negotiations. CBS’ Scott Pelley asked: “Mr. President, you have just averted a nationwide railroad strike that would have been crippling to the economy. How did you do that? And what were those last hours like in negotiations?” Biden answered “I have not directly engaged.” In September Biden said the deals were “a win for tens of thousands of rail workers and for their dignity and the dignity of their work.” Biden’s Labor Secretary Marty Walsh helped negotiate a 24% pay increase over a period of 5 years to union workers. The Biden Admin also helped negotiate ‘better working conditions’ and ‘caps on what they have to pay out of pocket for healthcare’. Those negotiations fell apart. A crippling rail strike may happen in the next week
On 11/22/2022, during the press briefing, a reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “On the “directly involved,” he was directly involved ahead of the September agreement being reached. Are you saying he’s been directly involved this week?
MS. Jean-Pierre: So I could say this: He’s been directly involved since before there was even a tentative agreement.
Reporter: Okay.
MS. Jean-Pierre: Right? So that has not stopped. The President has been kept abreast as to what is happening. And he has been directly involved because he understands how important it is to make sure that we do not have a real shutdown, because, as I laid out, it would have a steep — a really serious effect on American families.
Reporter: Can you explain how the President has been involved though? Just given that one of the union presidents is saying he hasn’t seen any real engagement. “
MS. Jean-Pierre: I mean, you’re talking about —
Reporter: So far, you’ve only told us that he’s been briefed, but you haven’t given us anything else.
MS. Jean-Pierre: No, I just said he’s been direct — I said — this is the third time I’m saying he’s been directly involved. You’re talking about one union president; there are 12.
Reporter: So he won’t be making calls to other unions or —
MS. Jean-Pierre: You’re talking about one. I said I’m not going to provide any details at this time. The administration more broadly has been also in touch with — with parties. Yes, the President has been — clearly, he’s been — held — he’s been briefed, but he has actually been directly involved. I’m not going to get into more details on that.
Reporter: Karine, to that question, the White House does seem a lot more hands off this time around, though, than you were before the last strike deadline. SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson, this morning, said that there’s been quote, “No real engagement yet at this point from the administration.”
Can you explain what’s different this time around? You keep pointing to the fact that it’s — the best option is for the parties to resolve this themselves. Is that because you don’t want Congress to get involved, or is that because you’d like these unions to resolve this amongst themselves without involvement from the administration or anyone else?
MS. Jean-Pierre: Well, we have said — look, there’s a tentative agreement, as you all know about, and we have said — the President — I just said the President has been directly involved. He’s been in touch …
other clips of this published longer video is here: https://youtu.be/MDD5UTrqaCI
Biden: not ENGAGED In Strike but WH: this is the 3rd time I’m saying he’s been directly involved