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Democratic leaders vowed to take up legislation to force a rail contract deal early Wednesday, despite objections from union members — and some in their own caucus — who raised concerns that the plan would not provide any paid sick days for workers, the Wall Street Journal reported. That commitment threatened to plunge the divided, election-weary Capitol into yet another high-stakes, year-end debate, one that appeared to leave both parties’ lawmakers uneasy, as rail workers could strike as early as Dec. 9. While rail carriers and other industries have praised the proposed contract deal, brokered by the White House in September, discontent and anger quickly surfaced from rank-and-file rail workers from four unions that have since voted down the deal. The four unions represent more than half of the unionized rail workers. A rail strike would threaten the nation’s coal shipments and supply of drinking water while also shutting down passenger rail and shipments of goods as the holiday season revs up. The U.S. economy could lose $2 billion a day if rail workers strike, according to the Association of American Railroads, an industry trade group.

Crypto exchange FTX and its affiliated companies, which have filed for U.S. bankruptcy court protection, said yesterday that most subsidiaries would resume ordinary course payment of salary and benefits to employees worldwide, Reuters reported. The relief includes cash payments with respect to both pre-petition and post-petition periods, subject to limits established by the orders of the Bankruptcy Court. "With the Court's approval of our First Day motions and the work being done on global cash management, I am pleased that the FTX group is resuming ordinary course cash payments of salaries and benefits to our remaining employees around the world," Chief Executive John Ray said in a statement. Last week, at the troubled crypto exchange's first bankruptcy hearing attorneys said FTX was run as a "personal fiefdom" of former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and detailed on going challenges such as hacks and substantial missing assets. FTX on Nov. 11 filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection, along with its U.S. unit, crypto trading firm Alameda Research and nearly 130 other affiliates.

President Biden called on Congress to pass legislation that would avert a rail shutdown by imposing a proposed contract that members at four railroad unions had rejected, the Wall Street Journal reported. The move would cut short a long-running labor dispute between the country’s biggest freight railroads and more than 115,000 workers that threatens to hurt the economy and disrupt the flow of goods as soon as next week. “As a proud pro-labor President, I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “But in this case — where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families — I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that the House would vote this week on legislation to adopt the tentative agreement, which was based on recommendations from a White House mediation panel. Members at four out of 12 unions have rejected the proposed contract. Under the Railway Labor Act, Congress can make both sides accept an agreement that their members have voted down. Lawmakers also can order negotiations to continue and delay the strike deadline for a certain period, or they can send the dispute to outside arbitrators.

The two largest freight rail unions split their votes on agreeing to a contract yesterday, a mixed signal in a monthslong, high-stakes negotiation that could lead to a shutdown of the nation’s freight rail network starting next month, Politico reported. Members of the union representing conductors and other workers voted to reject their proposed contract, adding additional fuel for a potential freight rail strike that could begin as soon as Dec. 5, the end of a “cooling off” period to allow for more negotiations. The “no” vote adds to pressure on Congress to step in and avert a work stoppage that could impede coal shipments, shut down most passenger rail, imperil drinking water and cost the economy billions per day. Members of the SMART Transportation Division “with their votes have spoken, it’s now back to the bargaining table for our operating craft members,” union president Jeremy Ferguson said in a statement. “This can all be settled through negotiations and without a strike. A settlement would be in the best interests of the workers, the railroads, shippers and the American people.” Separately, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen members voted to accept a tentative agreement reached on Sept. 15.

The two largest U.S. rail unions representing conductors and engineers are set to announce today results of votes on a tentative contract deal reached in September amid growing concerns a possible work stoppage could cause significant damage to the U.S. economy and strand vital shipments of food and fuel, Reuters reported. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) — representing about half of all unionized rail employees — are set to report results. Seven of the 12 unions involved in the talks have approved the deal, while three have voted against it but agreed to extend a strike deadline until at least Dec. 4. The standoff between U.S. railroad operators and their union workers disrupted flows of hazardous materials such as chemicals used in fertilizer and disrupted U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak service in September. The Biden administration helped avert a service cutoff by hosting last-minute contract talks in September at the Labor Department that led to a tentative contract deal.

Hiring at U.S. companies rose in October by more than forecast, mainly reflecting a surge in leisure and hospitality and underscoring resilient labor demand despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool the economy, Bloomberg News reported. Private payrolls rose 239,000 last month after a revised 192,000 gain in September, according to data from ADP Research Institute in collaboration with Stanford Digital Economy Lab. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 185,000 advance. In addition to the 210,000 increase at leisure and hospitality companies, payrolls rose in trade, transportation and utilities. Employment in information, manufacturing and financial services declined. The data from ADP precede the government’s payrolls report on Friday, which is forecast to show hiring cooled down in October and the unemployment rate edged up from a five-decade low.