Quality of life issues took center stage at the end of these negotiations, with unions representing conductors and engineers holding out until the end for three unpaid leave days a year for medical appointments and a promise that railroads will negotiate further about giving those employees regularly scheduled days off when they aren’t on call. Engineers and conductors have complained that strict attendance policies make it hard to take any time off.
Track maintenance workers in the BMWED generally have more regular schedules than engineers and conductors, but all the rail unions have objected to the lack of paid sick time in the industry — particularly after working to keep trains moving throughout the pandemic.
One bill (which passed with 79 Republican votes and 211 Democratic ones) codified the higher wages the railroads were offering. Members of Congress also voted to implement mandatory sick time as part of the deal, a nod to worker demands for more paid time off that railroads were unwilling to relent on.
In early negotiations, the unions requested 15 days of sick leave, while the resolution adopted Wednesday notably had just seven. … all but three Republican members of Congress—who, notably, have unlimited sick days and all 10 federal holidays off per year—still voted against it…no Democrats voted against the sick time provision signaled to some that Republicans were voting to prevent workers from obtaining benefits they themselves have: namely, the ability to take time off work whenever they feel the need.
https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-vote-against-time-off-rail-workers-strike-sick-days-1763688
THESE are the actual bills and parties involved with the rail strike.