NEIL: WE COULD BE TWO DAYS FROM
A NATIONWIDE RAILWAY STRIKE
THAT WOULD AFFECT 115,000
WORKERS, TALKS ARE ONGOING, A
BIG UNION OF BETTER THAN 5000,
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE
WORKERS REJECT A TENTATIVE
AGREEMENT THAT AUTHORIZED A
STRIKE.
THAT IS JUST ONE UNION AND
TALKS ARE ONGOING BUT IT IS
LOOKING DICEY AND THESE ARE
HAPPENING AT THE LABOR
DEPARTMENT SO WE ARE LUCKY TO
HAVE MY NEXT GUEST, SECRETARY
OF LABOR, ELAINE CHAO.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
TALKS ARE ONGOING, I’M NOT
GOING TO GO OVER THE LIKELIHOOD
OF A STRIKE, WE KNOW IT WOULD
BE DISRUPTIVE BUT HOW
DISRUPTIVE?
>> THE MAJORITY OF FREIGHT IN
OUR COUNTRY IS CARRIED I TRUCKS
OR RAIL, TRUCKS CAN TAKE 70% OF
THE TRAFFIC AND ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE LAST MILE.
30% OF THE FREIGHT IS CARRIED
BY RAILWAYS AND THEY ARE THE
LONG-DISTANCE HOLLERS AS WELL.
THERE WILL BE MAJOR DISRUPTIONS
NOT ONLY TO THE FREIGHT
MOVEMENT IN THE COUNTRY BUT
PASSENGER RAIL AS WELL SO
AMTRAK HAS MOST OF ITS
ACTIVITIES IN THE NORTHEAST
CORE DOOR BUT ALSO
LONG-DISTANCE PASSENGER RAIL
TRAFFIC AND ALREADY CANCELED
SOME OF THEM AND AFRAID GOING
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AMTRAK WHICH
USES FREIGHT, RAIL TRACKS, WILL
ALSO BE IMPACTED BY WHAT IS
HAPPENING WITH POTENTIAL
STRIKES AND EVERYTHING.
I WISH THE CURRENT SECRETARY
GREAT LUCK IN TRYING TO FIND A
RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT IS
ESSENTIAL THE FREIGHT MOVEMENTS
WITH PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC
VITALITY OF THE COUNTRY.
THIS DISCUSSION, NEGOTIATIONS,
HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR TWO YEARS,
IT HAS BEEN 18 MONTHS BASED ON
THE 29 -- 2019 SET OF
AGREEMENTS.
IT IS ABOUT TIME, THE TWO SIDES
OF HAD A HARD TIME COMING
TOGETHER.
NEIL: LAWMAKERS COULD
INTERVENE.
THEY DON’T WANT TO DO THAT BUT
THERE HAS BEEN HISTORY IN OUR
COUNTRY TO FORCE THAT ISSUE
WITH RONALD REAGAN, AIRPORT
CONTROLLERS.
I AM WONDERING HOW FAR SHOULD
THEY GO.
>> THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CONNECT
AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN IS
CONGRESS IF NEGOTIATIONS ARE
NOT SUCCESSFUL BY THE
EXPIRATION DATE AND TIME.
WE HAD THE EMERGENCY BOARD AND
ACTED BY THE PRESIDENT IN JULY,
THE EXPIRATION DATE ON FRIDAY
SO ALL AVENUES OF RESOLUTION ON
MANAGEMENT, LABOR AND EXECUTIVE
BRANCH IS DONE.
IF NOTHING IS RESOLVED, BY
FRIDAY, BASICALLY IT IS UP TO
THE CONGRESS AND THEY HAVE THE
AUTHORITY TO DO SEVERAL THINGS,
THEY CAN EXTEND THE DEADLINE
WHICH I DON’T THINK IS GOING TO
BE A VIABLE OPTION FOR BOTH
SIDES OR THEY CAN CRAM DOWN
WHAT WAS AGREED UPON.
THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT, THE
THIRD OPTION PEOPLE ARE HOPING
AND THINKING IS BASICALLY
ARBITRATION.
A 3-MEMBER PANEL WAS SELECTED
BY LABOR, MANAGEMENT AND THE
THIRD BY MUTUALLY SELECTED BY
BOTH SIDES BUT THE THREAT OF
ARBITRATION PANEL WHOSE OUTCOME
MAY BE UNCERTAIN.
COULD BE ENOUGH TO SEND BOTH
PARTIES BACK TO THE BARGAINING
TABLE BECAUSE TO BE FACED WITH
SUCH UNCERTAINTY CAN BE QUITE
FRIGHTENING.
NEIL: IF SUCH A STRIKE WERE TO
GO INTO AFFECT AND GO ON A
WHILE, YOU RELY ON OUR
SUPPLY-CHAIN PROBLEMS, A LOT
WORSE AT A TIME WHEN AMERICANS
ARE BEING TOLD YOU MIGHT WANT
TO START YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING
EARLY, OR GET WHAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO GET NOW JUST IN
PLANNING TO GET NOW JUST IN
CASE.
>> A STRIKE WOULD NOT BE GOOD.
THERE’S ANOTHER LAYER OF
DISPUTE THAT WE ALSO NEED TO
WATCH, THAT IS THE WEST COAST
SITUATION.
THE PRESIDENT AND THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAVE BEEN VERY
PROLABOR AND THEY ARE NOT
WANTING TO ANGER THEIR LABOR
ALLIES BUT UNDERSTAND THAT ANY
KIND OF STRIKE WOULD BE
DETRIMENTAL TO THE FRAGILE
STATE OF THE ECONOMY.
THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THIS
ADMINISTRATION MIGHT BE ABLE TO
PERSUADE THEIR LABOR ALLIES TO
BE MORE COOPERATIVE RIGHT
BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
BUT THE SPECTER OF SOME KIND OF
A STRIKE IS I WOULDN’T SAY MORE
THAN 50/50 BUT PRETTY STRONG.
I DO NOT THINK THE STRIKE WILL
LAST VERY LONG.
NEIL: GIVEN THE
ADMINISTRATION’S CLOSE TIES TO
LABOR THE PRESIDENT ANY MOMENT
WILL TALK ABOUT THOSE UNION
TIES AND MAKING SURE ANY JOBS
ARE UNION JOBS.
HE’S IN A BIT OF A BIND.
HE FORCED HIMSELF INTO A
CORNER.
>> RIGHT NOW THE STRIKE FUNDS
OF THESE UNIONS ARE NOT VERY
HIGH EITHER.
A STRIKE OF 5 TO 7 DAYS, $2
BILLION A DAY IN ECONOMIC
DAMAGE, DAMAGES BIG ENOUGH
ALREADY, WOULD BE SOMETHING
THAT IF IT WERE TO GO ON TO THE
STAGE, WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
I DON’T THINK LABOR COULD
MANAGE MUCH FURTHER BEYOND THAT
AND DON’T THINK MANAGEMENT
WOULD WANT IT.
THIS ADMINISTRATION WOULD NOT
WANT THAT.
I’M LOOKING FOR A SHORT STRIKE
IF THERE IS ONE.
THE PRESIDENTS OF THE TWO
LARGEST UNION THIS ARE UNDER A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE,
ESCALATING THEIR RHETORIC FOR
QUITE A WHILE.
THEY HAVE TO PRODUCE FOR THEIR
MEMBERS AND ONE OF THEM IS
COMING UP ON REELECTION NEXT
JUNE.
NEIL: I WOULD BE REMISS, YOUR
HUSBAND, MITCH MCCONNELL,
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER HAS
EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE
QUALITY OF CANDIDATES IN THE
SENATE AND IT IS A LOT TOUGHER
FOR REPUBLICANS TO SEIZE THAT
THAN IT WOULD BE THE HOUSE.
MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN ANOTHER
REMINDER THE TRUMP FAVORED
CANDIDATE GOT REPUBLICAN
NOMINATION.
I’M WONDERING WHETHER YOU SHARE
THE VIEW OF YOUR HUSBAND’S THAT
THE QUALITY OF THESE CANDIDATES
COULD GET IN THE WAY OF THE
VICTORY?
>> THAT IS WHAT HE DOES.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL RAILROAD STRIKE THAT
COULD DEVELOP.
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS THE
UNIONS ARE POLITICALLY ASTUTE.
THEY KNOW IF ONE OF THE
CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS TURNS
REPUBLICAN THAT THEY WILL NOT
HAVE AS EASY A TIME IN SOME OF
THE THINGS THEY WANT, SO THAT
WILL WEIGH IN ON THEIR
ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS AS TO
WHAT THEY WANT TO DO GOING
FORWARD SO THEY DON’T WANT
CONGRESS TO INTERVENE.
IF AFTER THE ELECTION, ONE OF
THE HOUSES OR BOTH CHAMBERS OF
THE SENATE AND CONGRESS, SENATE
AND THE HOUSE TURN REPUBLICAN
THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM.
NEIL: INTERESTING THAT THEY
MIGHT AS WELL TRY TO HAMMER A
DEAL WHILE THE GETTING IS GOING
BECAUSE THEY WILL BE LESS
RECEPTIVE.
FINISH UP.
>> THE OTHER THING I WOULD
CAUTION, THERE COULD BE A
STRIKE BECAUSE AS MUCH AS
SECRETARY WALSH IS TRYING, THE
PARTISAN NATURE OF CONGRESS
THESE DAYS MADE FOR FAST ACTION
ON THE PART OF CONGRESS,
INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO
ACCOMPLISH.
LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED THEIR
NEEDS TO BE A LOT OF WAIVERS
THAT NEED TO BE ENACTED BECAUSE
THERE ARE A LOT OF PROCEDURAL
STEPS AND IN 1971 THIS HAPPENED
AND ALL THE WAIVERS WERE AGREED
UPON BY REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS AND I THINK WE ARE NO LONGER IN THAT OF COMEDY, COM
LONGER IN THAT OF COMEDY, COM
IT WHY.
NEIL: WE WILL SEE HOW IT SORTS