Posted on 09/14/2022 9:57:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) has blocked a joint resolution sponsored by Senator Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) and Senator Richard Burr (R., N.C.) that would avert a freight-rail strike.
Wicker and Burr introduced a resolution that would adopt the recommendations of the presidential emergency board (PEB) appointed by President Biden as binding for a new, national, freight-rail labor contract. The PEB recommended a 24 percent pay increase over the five-year span of the contract, the largest pay increase in the history of national bargaining.
Sanders said, “Rail workers have a right to strike for reliable schedules. They have a right to strike for paid sick days. They have a right to strike for safe working conditions. Rail workers have a right to strike for decent benefits.”
After talking about wealth inequality and “the billionaire class,” the crux of Sanders’s objection was the PEB’s recommendation about sick days. “Right now if you work in the freight rail industry . . . you are entitled to zero sick days,” Sanders said. “What that means is that if you, as a worker get sick, if your child gets sick, if your spouse gets sick, and you need to take time off of work, not only will you not get paid, you actually could get fired,” he said.
Sick leave was considered at length by the PEB. Unions had proposed “15 days of paid sick leave annually where no sick leave is currently provided and increase the number of days of paid sick leave annually to 15 days where less than 15 days of paid annual sick leave is provided.” That means some workers already do get paid sick leave.
After considering the unions’ arguments for the proposal and the carriers’ counterarguments, the PEB said (emphasis added):
The Board appreciates how deeply the Organizations and the membership feel about the manner in which the Carriers are applying their attendance policies. Disputes over those issues, however, are best resolved in the grievance and arbitration process, not by an overly broad and very costly proposal that would create 15 paid days a year that, while nominally labeled as sick leave days, would be structured to be used on demand as a means of permitting employees to better balance work-life needs and would effectively be personal days that could not be denied for any reason by the Carriers. We understand the concerns voiced by the Organizations as to the circumstances that led to this proposal (and several others made in this proceeding). We are simply not in agreement that this sick leave proposal is otherwise warranted or is the appropriate way to address the concerns. We have taken the changes in demands upon employees into account when we formulated our recommendations concerning the wage package, including the service recognition bonus component.
As I wrote earlier today, sick leave was one of the elements on which the PEB recommended arbitration as a possible solution. That means that accepting the PEB’s recommendations does not preclude unions from continuing to push for more sick leave in arbitration in the future. In addition, the PEB considered the sick-leave policy when making its wage-increase recommendations, which were the highest ever from national bargaining and over 40 percent higher than what carriers wanted to offer. The PEB also recommended adding an additional paid personal day, which would be included if Wicker’s and Burr’s resolution passes.
Time-off policies for rail workers are more complicated than other industries, owing to the inherent 24/7 nature of the business. According to the Association of American Railroads, rail workers receive three weeks of paid vacation on average, eleven paid holidays, and 26 weeks of partial income replacement (about 60 percent of pay). Some also receive a supplemental sickness benefit, which increases the partial-income-replacement rate and extends it to 52 weeks. In prior rounds of bargaining, some unions traded sick leave to get the supplemental sickness benefit instead.
Sanders’s objection now means that the resolution will require 60 votes to pass the Senate. Burr said, “This is in Senator Schumer’s hands. He’s the majority leader. . . . Here is the promise I’ll make to Senator Schumer. If you bring it to the floor, I’ll produce 48 Republican votes for it. That means Dems only need to produce 12 people to support it to keep the American people from a $2 billion a day negative impact on them.”
Wicker asked President Biden to make clear whether he supports the report from the PEB that he appointed. “[He should] exercise the presidential leadership that is needed at this point to persuade his friends in the four holdout unions that this is what needs to be done. . . . It’s really up to the Democratic leader and the president of the United States,” Wicker said.
Correct. It’s brain science.
There’s also the Uber way.
People bid to do the fill-in work.
If the bids fall below say twice the average daily pay, then the sick worker might get sick pay.
If the lowest bid was 140%, then the sick day would be paid at 60%.
“The latest deal means nine out of the 12 labor unions...have reached agreements.”
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/another-union-accepts-rail-agreement
I am ignorant here. What does the federal government have to do with a rail strike?
I am ignorant here. What does the federal government have to do with a rail strike?
My career was in railroad labor relations. The biggest problem is in pool service-rotating calls at home and away terminals. The employees said they were often at home for the minimum wait time and away for the max, leaving little family time or ability to plan. Our railroad was working on these work-life issues before Precision Scheduled Railroading changed everything a few years ago. Railroad retirement benefits are great but the tax while you are working is much higher than social security.
Interstate Commerce
Bolshevik Bernie isn’t doing too bad considering he hasn’t ever had an actual productive job in his life.
Honest headline:
Senator Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) and Senator Richard Burr (R., N.C.) insert themselves in a legal strike to help Biden
Yes, perhaps we should all find out together
I would be surprised if there is a much critical items moving on rail in other countries. Europe? The size makes it easy to switch to trucks. The US has a hugh and series geographical disadvantage in that regard.
Biden stepped in and averted a rail strike. Approval rating tops 80%./s
Yeah, it’s called RR Retirement Tier 2. The union worker pays 2x the social security rate, 15%, out of each paycheck. That’s why they are really striking. A 24% increase will set them equal to the non Tier 2 take home pay.
They don't have them now?
They DO have NO 'right' to hold the entire country hostage.
Where's Reagan when you need him?
whips and chains
That’s more than I get and I retired from the Navy department!
Bet you enjoy your weekends off, which they don’t get.
They get their 30 days off a year - total. You get that in the first 4 months of the year.
They don’t get weekends off.
Throwing money at the problem isn’t going to do it.
a railroad engineer’s wife told me it was a staffing problem
those willing to work are getting run ragged
they are not adequately staffed because many young people have no work ethic
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