Posted on 11/29/2022 12:27:14 PM PST by EBH
President Biden has asked Congress to intervene in a labor dispute between rail workers and their employers, hoping to quell an impending strike with the potential to upend the American economy.
SMART Transportation Division, SMART-TD for short, a union representing conductors in the rail industry has rejected a deal brokered by the Biden Administration, upending the White House's efforts to avoid a strike before the holidays. With 51% of SMART-TD's members voting in opposition of the deal, the workers are poised to either strike, or be locked out by rail companies on Dec. 9.
A potential strike could have devastating effects on the nation's supply chain and economic health. Much of the country's goods still travel by freight train. Ahead of the holiday season, a halting in the shipment of food products, and other critical goods could debilitate the economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Something else to think about.
The US isn’t the only place this is going on. The rail unions in France and in the UK are doing it, too.
That’s not a coinkydink.
And another reason that anyone who strikes or refuses to cross a picket lines gers zero sympathy from me.
They are Deep State’s useful idiots.
A pox be upon them.
So if you’re important to the economy you can’t get sick, or need to go to appointments, or other basic things every other worker in this country gets. This isn’t about personal gain, this about being treated like people.
Perhaps the end game is an end to the railroading business model known as precision scheduled railroading.
Running fewer, bigger trains, with fewer employees. A match made in heaven for the bottom line, but more demanding of employees The gift of the late E. Hunter Harrison.
Somewhere on the receiving end of a plunger.
<>This problem has gone on too long with the federal and state governments ramrodding a close to slave labor situation<>
You lost all credibility with that one.
Double whammy....
Railroad strike as soon as Monday, Dec 5 and the Fed to raise rates by 50 basis points when they meet Dec. 13-14
I imagine Warren Buffett is telling the democrats no to the union deal as he owns a railroad.
ALL the focus needs to be on the railroad OWNERS as to why they refuse to hire enough workers so there can be not showing up for work because you’re actually sick.
Currently you have to plan getting sick no less than 30 days in advance notice.
Otherwise you’ll amass points where you’ll be mandatory fired.
Where are the articles on the refusal of the ultra-rich railroad owners (Warren Buffett) to budge. Mega Democratic party doner Buffett that in payback got Biden to close the pipelines for crude MUST be transported on his railroads.
“If it were up to me, anyone who strikes would be fired.”
Go ahead and fire them.
Railroad management won’t be able to run the trains, neither will any of the morons in Congress or labor union lawyers.
Bring in your new labor supply and run these companies right. Oh wait that imaginary labor supply doesn’t exist.
Maybe you could hire Loops Loompas.
“Is that 5 years into the future?”
Roccus,
Not sure, I got it from a different article on a different thread.
Modern media is a joke at providing concise information.
I’ll try and track it down, but I’m not wasting a bunch of time if I can’t.
Maybe you could hire Oompa Loompas.
No problemo, FRiend.
Was just trying to set right what was inferred in the article. It didn’t take me long to realize how silly I was to even attempt to do so on this thread.
Sometimes I amaze my self with the depth of my own stupidity.
Have a good evening
Here is part of an article from NPR on the major issues that were causing a vote down of the unions from Biden’s effort:
The unions acknowledge that the agreement sent to the rank-and-file to vote on fell short of what they’d hoped for. While the deal did include substantial raises that puts workers slightly ahead of inflation, it did not deliver any paid sick days, a major disappointment to workers after carrying the railroads through the pandemic.
The unions were able to secure some protections for workers from the strict attendance policies employed by a couple of the railroads. Under the deal, workers can miss work to attend to medical issues without being assessed disciplinary points, but there are limitations and the time off is unpaid.
Additionally, the agreement stipulates that unions can negotiate for more regular schedules for engineers and conductors who are essentially on call around the clock. The unions say this is a big win for workers and would constitute a major quality-of-life improvement.
Meanwhile, two unions that voted down the contract last month — the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen — are still holding out for paid sick leave. They’ve argued that railroad workers should receive the same amount that federal contractors are mandated to provide — 56 hours — but say they’ll make a deal with less than that.
Unions are also exploring other paths to securing paid sick leave, including through executive order, SMART-TD president Ferguson told workers at a town hall earlier this month.
https://www.npr.org/2022/11/21/1137640529/railroads-freight-rail-unions-vote-contract-strike
In the articles there is no mention of pensions. And the health issues are covered but are not acceptable from all the unions involved. Apparently the paid sick leave is an big issue.
wy69
“You lost all credibility with that one.”
If you don’t think a long list of consistent on call positions working days and nights, the lack of paid sick leave or the ability to go to medical appointments with the fear of losing acceptability of job, and not being given leave to attend medical emergencies without being penalized, while the schedules they work are not conducive to a family existence doesn’t border on the edge of slave labor, then you might want to consider the availability of the congress that oversees this contract having these things available to them. And they work banker’s hours and many times in their stupidity find ways to harm our society rather than their basic job of protecting and serving it.
wy69
Treated like people? Are you kidding me? Railroad union overpays their labor and the associated regulation costs are unbelievable. The American people should not be bled for their greed. We do enough already. One would think union members would have learned by now that their greed and corrupt cooperation with the democrat party has cost over 50 million good jobs over the past couple decades. We will be replacing more and more of those jobs with high technology.
Consider, when I was a boy I remember watching a crew of about twenty men working on building a house. Now, you can build a house with a crew of maybe five...utilizing pneumatic nail guns, electrical saws, roofing guns, etc. etc. more production with a lot less labor. However, it did cut down on how many carpenters, roofers, masons, etc. are needed to build. Factories are the same...it’s destroying our nation with marxist ideas that have long been proven to be harmful to the people. Both the workers and the public. I hope you will reconsider your opinion.
Except you’re wrong. No sick time. It’s just silly. If these jobs are so important they should be treated well. That’s how you avoid this crap.
Slave labor? okay, you are too blind to see the harm contracts like what the unions are promoting to their own members. Lost jobs, lost industries. How low do you need to bring the nation for the greed of a few who have been given monopolistic (oligopolistic actually)power over industry and the American people. You are justifying a very damaging agreement to your fellow members, companies, and the American people. Rethink your position.
I am not wrong, I have looked at the economic data regarding unions and how they were corrupted by leftists and have driven tens of millions of good jobs overseas by their monopolistic dominance. Free markets are impossible to kill discostu, the Soviet Union, China, etc. have proven that. But, prosperity can be killed by economic interference of the free market. That is fact...
None of which matters. Unions gain power by employers being crappy to their employees. These railroads have known this issue was coming for years. And they still couldn’t manage to say “hey maybe we should actually pay these people well, and not punish them for getting sick.” You want unions to go away? Treat employees like people. Notice the software industry, which completely coddles its employees, never unionizes. Good pay, good benefits, don’t punish getting sick or having appointments, no union. The math is simple.
The whole strategy here was to make Biden look like a hero before the election and then blame the strike, and its effects on the economy, on the Republican Congress after the election.
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