Railroad strike.

[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.