Railroad strike.

[flogger]

This does not look good for the Biden administration and Dems in Congress. It makes you wonder why it comes down to a desperate response to a deadline, a deadline everyone (insert Pelosi) has known about for quite a while.

Nice time to avert the attention of the public away from all the other issues. Congress will continue to kick the can down the road and keep the Government going with another spending stamp of approval, just like the last how many years?
Sorry to say, I don't trust ANY of them.

Back to the Railroad Union strike, it would be crippling for the economy and probably won't happen, but there are going to be a lot of pissed off union workers/voters, and not just railroad union members.

[BlasterBob]

Keep in mind that AMTRAK would also stop running and that’d piss off many of the Christmas season travelers.

[TEAMRICO]

Oh no, think of the Hobos!

[electronman1729]

Keep in mind that AMTRAK would also stop running and that’d piss off many of the Christmas season travelers.

Since when do people ride Amtrack?

[Scanker19]

Since when do people ride Amtrack?

Since I’ve been a hobo.

[3beansalad]

Keep in mind that AMTRAK would also stop running and that’d piss off many of the Christmas season travelers.

This should have a positive impact on the federal deficit!

[rondog]

Since when do people ride Amtrack?

I didn't even know it was still running, haven't seen one in years - but I don't get out much, and not near any RR lines.

And wasn't there a threat of a RR strike last year or so? Or was that trucks?

[BushMasterBoy]

Drake and Comanche power plants run on coal. Coal that is delivered by train. Colorado Springs and Pueblo would suffer greatly.

[eddiememphis]

"Since last winter, railroad unions and the managers of America's seven dominant freight-rail carriers have been struggling to come to an agreement on a new contract."

"Unlike nearly 80 percent of U.S. laborers, railroad employees are not currently guaranteed a single paid sick day. Rather, if such workers wish to recuperate from an illness or make time to see a doctor about a nagging complaint, they need to use vacation time, which must be requested days in advance."

"In recent days, the Biden administration has sought to nullify that threat (the strike) by asking Congress to impose the tentative agreement on the industry before the strike deadline of December 9"

"Senators passed the bill to force unions to accept a tentative agreement reached earlier this year between railroad managers and their workers and make an imminent strike illegal."

Amtrak is unlikely to be affected, this about freight systems. However some of the tracks themselves are owned by the freight companies and may be shut down to commuter traffic. Of course, the government run Amtrak shut down routes regardless.

Railroad unions are very ineffective if they can't get paid time off for their members.

I don't know how Congress can pass a law requiring a union to accept on offer from a business.

I understand the necessity of making sure the trains keep running. I have read as much as 80% of goods in the country are on a train at some point.

A very good explanation from the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63798110 not what I quoted above- that was from several different sources that I too lazy to reference.

[flogger]

Another example of our government's ignorance of truly important issues. I guess that same sex marriage bill the Senate passed was WAY more important than averting a major supply problem of goods in the country, what a bunch of clowns, R&D together.

Good comments on how important the rail system is, coal for power, fertilizer for food, chlorine for drinking water, lumber/building materials, people and a lot more.

I was in a Carpenters Union in the 1970's (heavy power plant construction) and can sympathize with the union members. They have been working on this for a while and nothing happens, I wouldn't blame them for calling President Mumbles bluff and shutting it down.

[fitterjohn]

I am always surprised when I find out a union is able to still go on strike. My union has had a no strike clause in every contract for many many years now. Of course we also figured out in a place like Colorado where the union doesn’t have the lions share of work share everybody wins when management and labor work together to grow business instead of wasting time fighting each other.

[battlemidget]

Remember Reagan firing all the air traffic controllers in the 80s?

[Jayhawk]

I wish that they would/could go on strike. Unfortunately their under the Railway Labor Act, which sets out the hows, whens, and wherefores of negotiating a contract. I was a pilot for Continental/United Airlines and we fell under the Railway Labor Act. The whole process heavily favors management. The process literally takes years, and I mean years. The usual contract last for a period of 4 years, after four years the old contract remains in effect until a new contract is ratified. Through out my 36 year career the 4 year contracts the I worked under usually lasted 8 to once 10 years. This means that during this period you go through 2-3 business cycles, the company says we're losing money or just barely breaking even. (The management guys get big bonus). We voted a pay cut of $120 million after 911, and the next quarter all management got to split a $120 million profit, funny how that happens. The auto workers if there contract expires at 12 midnight they walkout at 1201, and usually the contract gets signed at 1230. If this railway labor act was gotten rid of you would have both sides negotiating'/bargaining with more good faith. The Railway Labor Act encourages management to slow down and low ball because once the contract expires they have a competitive advantage over their competitors.

[eddiememphis]

The auto workers if there contract expires at 12 midnight they walkout at 1201, and usually the contract gets signed at 1230.

Nope.

My Dad was UAW for 30 years. He went on strike strike several times, sometimes lasting many months.

He loved it. He was paid to sit in a lawn chair and drink with his buddies while holding a sign and yelling at "scabs".

The worst was when Caterpillar settled with the UAW after a long strike, about five months before he retired. He said that was the worst call he ever got. Like being on parole only to be called back to finish your sentence.

[eddiememphis]

Remember Reagan firing all the air traffic controllers in the 80s?

Yes.

A little different since they were government employees.

The choo choo workers are in the private sector which is why I wonder about the legal justification of congress passing a law against their strike.

Especially the Democrats who always have claimed to be on the side of unions and "the workers".

[O2HeN2]

Since when do people ride Amtrack?

I do occasionally. Got relatives back East and the GF doesn't fly.

O2

[hollohas]

Drake and Comanche power plants run on coal. Coal that is delivered by train. Colorado Springs and Pueblo would suffer greatly.Martin Drake doesn't anymore.

--

I thought the Dems were pro-union? But now they're passing legislation in opposition to a legitimate union demand (paid sick leave).

But every Dem voter will still think Dems are staunchly pro-union. Mind boggling.

[arbol]

This is communism, right?

Where Government decides how scare resources are allocated?

-John

[flogger]

So, from what I understand, the union has an issue with the number of paid sick days they get.

They are asking for 15 days a year (sounds high to me) and were offered 1 day a year. They are at 0 days a year now. Avg. pay $64K.

Congress gets 13 sick days a year, 'works' about 185 days a year and average pay is $175K per year, not to mention the benefits, shameless insider trading and lobbying kickbacks

Yes, Congress is the perfect group of thinkers that can really get down and spend some time on the big issues. It probably took less than 15 minutes for these clowns to pass the bill and present it to President Mumbles (with the press and cameras present of course).

[Clint45]

The choo choo workers are in the private sector which is why I wonder about the legal justification of congress passing a law against their strike.

Ronald Reagan put out a series of EEOs during the mid-80s that empowers government to take full unrestricted control of railways, ports, airports, and highways during a declared state of emergency.

[arbol]

Declared them, essential workers, as I recall.

Good point, Clint.

-John

[flogger]

I never knew there were that many Unions involved!
92236

[eddiememphis]

Ronald Reagan put out a series of EEOs during the mid-80s that empowers government to take full unrestricted control of railways, ports, airports, and highways during a declared state of emergency.

That may be but it is the Railway Labor Act of 1926 that allows Congress to settle disputes between unions and corporations. As Jayhawk stated.

I wasn't aware of it so I did some research.

"Under the Railway Labor Act, the federal agency that oversees railroad and airline labor relations is the National Mediation Board, which tries to bring the two sides together, and it set up a series of limits and cooling off periods during which unions can not strike and management can not lock out the workers. And if all those efforts fail, then Congress can step in and impose a contract under which both sides will have to operate."

Again, it seem odd that Democrats would not give the unions as much as they could since unions contribute to Democrats almost exclusively. Makes one wonder about the lobbying might of the railroad companies.

[Martinjmpr]

How crappy is your union if you can't get sick days? FFS most of the non-union jobs I had offered sick days.

[hollohas]

I generally think unions are outdated and I almost never take a sick day (go years between using them).

But this seems like just the thing unions are for. 0 sick days is BS.

Do Colorado laws not apply to the RR employees located here? Colorado mandates sick leave now.

[Great-Kazoo]

The real question is. And one the media is ignoring is. Where da fuk is the Sec. Of Transportation? WHY is shim not being asked and or involved?

[BushMasterBoy]

Maybe if they owned shares the attitude would different? Nothing like an incentive to keep the ball rolling.

[sampson]

The real question is. And one the media is ignoring is. Where da fuk is the Sec. Of Transportation? WHY is shim not being asked and or involved?Excellent observation. Like most Democrat politicians, hiding in the basement or on maternity leave again. He is being groomed to be one of your next glorious leaders. Maybe he can run with polesmoker for the ultimate ticket.