“Just yesterday, while he was in Boston, the President called both the unions and the companies to avert a [railway] strike,” Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
The Biden administration is currently working with other modes of transportation in the United States, including truckers and air freight carriers, to see if they can “step in and keep goods moving” in case of the rail shutdown, Jean-Pierre said.
The White House has also been working with relevant agencies to assess what supply chains and commodities are most likely to face severe disruptions, Jean-Pierre added.
Starting on Monday, US freight railroads stopped accepting a number of hazardous materials for shipment, including chlorine and ammonia, a key component of about three-quarters of all fertilizers, to ensure that such cargo is not left on an unattended or unsecured train in the event of a work stoppage due to an impasse in labor negotiations, the Association of American Railroads said in a statement.
The US Chamber of Commerce warned that a potential rail strike would lead to an "economic disaster" and called on Congress to be prepared to intervene.
Also on Monday, about 15,000 nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association went on a three-day strike in what is described as the largest strike of private-sector nurses in US history.