I think when you're negotiating a contract and a critical means to an end is prohibited, it compromises the negotiations. Like I said, it appears the rail companies made enough to afford it.

Rail workers didn't go on strike so there wasn't a strike to have kept up. The union and the rail companies were in negotiations. The companies refused to bargain and asked the Biden administration to intervene and Biden obliged.

So the question is then: would the rail companies have negotiated any differently or bargained in good faith if they faced actual consequences? I think it is very obvious they would have been forced to concede to the union a very basic and reasonable contract provision.