Business news in brief
By The Associated Press
President Biden meets with Teamsters
WASHINGTON | President Joe Biden courted the support of the powerful International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Tuesday, reminding its leaders and members of his record on unions as likely Republican challenger Donald Trump tries to make gains among the blue-collar workers that helped propel his 2016 victory.
Biden met with the Teamsters at its headquarters and emphasized the administration’s support of unions and his longtime support for the labor movement. Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said after the meeting that Biden has been “great” for workers but stressed that “there’s still a lot of work to be done” to bolster unions.
Buttigieg scolds railroads for not doing more to improve safety
OMAHA, Neb. | Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has reiterated his concerns about railroad safety and scolded the industry for not doing more to improve since last year’s fiery Ohio derailment.
In a new letter to the freight railroads’ main trade group, Buttigieg acknowledged that the railroads say they are committed to safety. He also gave them credit for providing sick time to nearly 90% of their workers, and for investing in an extensive network of detectors to help prevent derailments.
But he said that too often regulators encounter resistance when they try to get the industry to do more to improve safety, and the latest statistics show the industry’s track record hasn’t improved significantly despite the railroads’ efforts.
TikTok influencers lobby lawmakers in Washington
WASHINGTON | Lawmakers are facing their latest lobbyists — online influencers from TikTok. The platform is once again bringing influencers to Washington, this time to lobby members of Congress.
The company wants lawmakers to reject a fast-moving bill that would force TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company to sell or face a ban in the United States. Some online content creators are beginning what’s poised to be a two-day lobbying and advocacy event in support of TikTok.
The platform arranged their trips to Washington ahead of a House floor vote on the legislation on Wednesday.
—From AP reports
