The Railway Workers Union demands appear to be reasonable to me. What is the argument for not granting them? <3 https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2022/09/15/railway-railroad-unions-strike-what-to-know/10387821002/
Same here, I think demands are reasonable. Sick day and time away from work are important benefits, people need time off. So rail strike date is midnight Dec 9th. It may or may not occur, seems rail corporate leaders apparently want a strike. Economic impact of strike can be devastating, There is a rail strike set for Australia. Is it coincidental?
Alexis Simendinger Fri, December 2, 2022 at 3:20 AM Editor’s note: The Hill’s Morning Report is our daily newsletter that dives deep into Washington’s agenda. To subscribe, click here or fill out the box below. The Senate voted on Thursday to avert a nationwide rail strike, sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk. The Senate passage of the bill — which follows its passage in the House on Wednesday — forces a deal between national freight railroads and their unions and stops a potential Dec. 9 strike that could have crippled nationwide travel and commerce ahead of the busy holiday season. Support for the legislation was overwhelmingly bipartisan, passing the Senate 80-15 (The Hill and The Washington Post). The Senate voted on Thursday to reject a proposal to give railway workers seven days of sick leave, a benefit that was left out of a labor deal between freight rail companies and unionized workers that was brokered by the Biden administration. The proposal to give workers seven days of sick leave, which was championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other liberal lawmakers, failed to pick up enough Republican support to overcome a 60-vote threshold set for adopting the measure and fell in a 52-43 vote. Railroads lobbied GOP senators to oppose the paid sick leave measure, arguing that congressional modifications to a contract would set a dangerous precedent. “Unless Congress wants to become the de facto endgame for future negotiations, any effort to put its thumb on the bargaining scale to artificially advantage either party or otherwise obstruct a swift resolution would be wholly irresponsible and risk a timely outcome to avoid significant economic harm,” Association of American Railroads CEO Ian Jefferies said in a statement. Railroads have drawn the ire of workers and progressive lawmakers for refusing to offer paid sick days despite making record profits in recent years amid soaring demand for shipped products.
For Congress to impose a contract on the workers with which they don't agree and that excludes their main demand, and a seemingly eminently reasonable one, is crappy. It might be outside the Railway Labor Act, but I wouldn't blame the workers if they strike anyway. And yes, I get it that Republican Senators were the reason that the contract doesn't include this. But the point remains.
On the other hand a 24% raise over the next few years sounds pretty good. Plus the idea of a rail strike sinking the economy pretty much sinks any option of a strike though.
There are certain sectors of our society that are considered too valuable to sustain a serious work stoppage. Military: yes. Baseball players: no. Railway workers?
An agreement was approved between the labor union negotiators and railroad management. The labor union workers then had to approve the agreement. They instead rejected the agreement. This rejected agreement is what the house and senate then passed which forces the labor unions to accept it.
I still don't understand why can't the rail workers get sick days and time off protected in the agreement? Why is this issue politicized?
I agree with you. Here's the argument though. The railroads employ relatively few workers now. It makes it difficult for there to be ready replacement workers spread all over the country just so someone can occasionally have a day off or a sick day.