Before the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to block a railroad strike, Gov. Jim Justice weighed in on the issue.
Justice, whose family owns coal companies that depend on rail transportation, was asked about the potential for a strike during his COVID-19 briefing.
The governor said a strike two weeks before Christmas would affect more than just coal.
“If we have a rail disruption for two or three or four days, it’ll be bad,” he said. “And god forbid if we have a rail disruption for significantly longer than that.”
Justice blamed the Biden administration for the impasse.
Railroad workers are threatening to strike because a contract negotiated by the White House in September does not include enough paid sick leave.
On Wednesday, the House voted, mostly along party lines, to give workers seven days of paid sick leave. It’s now up to the Senate to approve or reject.