Earlier this month, President Biden signed a bill averting a national railway workers’ strike.

But tensions remain high between companies and rail workers.

So now, rallies are being planned all across the country, including in Duluth, as those employees say there’s still a lot at stake.

Those rallies are being held Tuesday by the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail Transportation union, also known as SMART.

Duluth’s rally, which will be held on Garfield Avenue near the railroad crossing, is part of a nationwide movement.

Rail workers were set to go on strike beginning December 9th, but President Biden signed a bill into law preventing that from happening.

The bill would give rail workers a 24% pay increase over 5 years.

However, what’s not included in the bill is guaranteed sick time off.

Under the current agreement, workers need to use unpaid time off for medical appointments.

Nick Katich, Minnesota’s Legislative Director for SMART said the rallies are meant to be a reminder that for rail workers, there’s more to be done.

“Our solidarity rally is an opportunity for railroad workers and their families, their friends, our supporters, to come out and say with one voice that the national contract is done but it didn’t resolve all of our issues and our industry is still broken,” Katich said.

The House approved a separate measure, which would have added seven days of paid sick leave rather than just one.

However, it was defeated in the Senate, so the final bill that hit the president’s desk did not include paid sick time in the contract.

The rally is happening from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Duluth.

There will also be a rally in Minneapolis, as well as other American cities, happening in solidarity with the main rally in Washington, D.C.

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