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At the end of November, faced with an impending rail strike, Biden urged Congress to impose a contract on rail workers. Two days later, on November 30, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to sell the workers out. Only 8 Democrats ended up voting against the two bills, one of which included no sick days, and the second of which included just 7 sick days, which was half of what the workers were demanding. 

Among those who voted in favor of the bills were the members of the progressive Squad — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, and Rashia Tlaib. All members voted unanimously for the bill that didn’t meet workers’ full sick leave demands, and all but one — Tlaib — voted for both bills. 

In other words, the so-called “pro-Labor president” and members of the House that have been endorsed by or are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, sold out workers and actively undermined class struggle. 

Today, Left Voice editor James Hoff is back on the podcast, and we’re joined by Jason Koslowski, a college professor and union organizer in Philadelphia. James and Jason go over the background of the rail situation and the events that led up to it. More importantly, we talk about what this event says about the Democratic Party, President Biden, and the role of the state. 

The Democrats are strikebreakers who rule in the interest of capitalists and their profits. When push comes to shove, like when a strike is on the table, even progressive Democrats will fall in line. 

Listen to the episode on Spotify on Apple Podcasts.

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