The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is slamming longtime members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., after they voted to enforce a contract on railroad workers to thwart a national rail strike.
“Biden and his administration sold out workers when they imposed this terrible contract on railroad workers through the antiquated Railway Labor Act (RLA),” DSA said in a press release. “We disagree and are disappointed with the decision of DSA members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Cori Bush to needlessly vote to enforce the TA [tentative agreement].”
President Biden signed into law on Friday the legislation that he said averted “what could have been a real disaster.”
The newly enacted law codifies a July deal negotiated by rail unions and the Biden administration that would raise workers pay by 24% over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024, including an immediate payout on average of $11,000 upon ratification.
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The agreement passed by Congress was approved by eight of 12 transportation unions involved in negotiations. The four dissenting unions, representing about 100,000 rail workers, said the deal was unfair because it included insufficient paid-sick leave time. They had asked for seven paid sick days, but Congress did not include their demand in the bill, despite an effort from progressive lawmakers, including Ocasio-Cortez, and even some conservatives like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to amend the legislation.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., also a DSA member, voted in favor of the TA but was curiously spared from the group’s criticism.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., was the only DSA member to vote against the bill.
“We are proud of DSA member Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s vote against the TA, and for sick days,” the DSA said. “Any vote by Congress to impose a bad contract on workers sides with the boss, and contradicts democratic socialist values.”
DSA Class Unity, a group that describes itself as working “both within the DSA and outside of it to support the development of class struggle politics,” went a step further than DSA, calling on the group to expel Ocasio-Cortez, Bush and Bowman from its membership.
“The representatives have turned their backs on the movement that brought them to office,” a petition by DSA Class Unity reads. “The black mark they have left on the name of socialism will be a liability for American socialists well into the future.”
“We condemn the traitorous actions of these representatives and call for their immediate censure and expulsion from the Democratic Socialists of America,” the petition states.
The petition is signed by the DSA’s Providence and Inland Empire chapters, the Virginia Worker Editorial Board, and over 100 DSA chapter members, including Burbank, California, Vice Mayor Konstantine Anthony.
Ocasio-Cortez and Bush did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Fox News’ Kyle Morris and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this article.