Railroad union megathread

[Ferguson97]

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1570122666123591680

This could end up being a major issue for a while, so I think it makes sense to start a mega thread

[new_patomic]

This could potentially be very damaging economically going into the fall.

I would say, from a political standpoint, having a strike no matter the underlying conditions right before an election is stupid verging on insane.

But the underlying issue here is that the railroad companies are Ikarus flying near the sun. Even if you force the railroad workers to accept a bad deal here we're risking long-term damage to the resiliency of our entire logistics system because they refuse to give these workers even a single sick day. Turnover will get worse, labor shortages will worsen, this is not the 80s where you can just pull a Reagan and fire all the strikers and the system can bounce back.

So if this happens... Biden's only good option is probably to slam the companies as being thieving bastards more interested in tanking the entire American economy than they are in giving their workers even one sick day or day off to attend a funeral. And hope you can have the public pressure be against the corporations, rather than against the workers.

[Koharu]

I do think that with public support for unions being as high as it is currently, this is a decent time to attempt that strategy. Even three years ago I don't think there would be as much public support as there could be now, especially if people are made aware of the absolute horrors of the time off policies rail-workers have.

[Beet]

The is an issue that where the negative externalities of a strike are orders of magnitude greater than the costs to the two parties involved (the companies and unions), so it's in the best interests of the nation to have it resolved as quickly as possible via outside intervention.

The problem I'm seeing is that so far, only the Republicans in Congress want to take actions to end the strike, by screwing over the unions' demands. Can the Democrats also create a competing proposal that would force the railway companies to accept the workers' demands? Since they are the ones in control of Congress, they should be able to pass a bill (presuming they can get it past the Senate), taking advantage of public opinion if they can get it on their side.

[Aurelius]

The is an issue that where the negative externalities of a strike are orders of magnitude greater than the costs to the two parties involved (the companies and unions), so it's in the best interests of the nation to have it resolved as quickly as possible via outside intervention.

The problem I'm seeing is that so far, only the Republicans in Congress want to take actions to end the strike, by screwing over the unions' demands. Can the Democrats also create a competing proposal that would force the railway companies to accept the workers' demands? Since they are the ones in control of Congress, they should be able to pass a bill (presuming they can get it past the Senate), taking advantage of public opinion if they can get it on their side.

Yeah, you'd think that Congress could just vote to give the unions the sick time policies they want and also pay the railroads however much money they'll lose from that. A lot cheaper and less disruptive than a strike.

[jojoju1998]

The is an issue that where the negative externalities of a strike are orders of magnitude greater than the costs to the two parties involved (the companies and unions), so it's in the best interests of the nation to have it resolved as quickly as possible via outside intervention.

The problem I'm seeing is that so far, only the Republicans in Congress want to take actions to end the strike, by screwing over the unions' demands. Can the Democrats also create a competing proposal that would force the railway companies to accept the workers' demands? Since they are the ones in control of Congress, they should be able to pass a bill (presuming they can get it past the Senate), taking advantage of public opinion if they can get it on their side.

Yeah, you'd think that Congress could just vote to give the unions the sick time policies they want and also pay the railroads however much money they'll lose from that. A lot cheaper and less disruptive than a strike.

From my understanding; the argument of Amtrak/Railroads is that the workers already have GENEROUS PAID sick leave, and that unpaid sick leave would be redundant.

So why not just increase the paid sick leave ?

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act#Strikes

The Act also authorized the President to intervene in strikes or potential strikes that create a national emergency

[wbrocks67]

Still meeting, hopefully means they're getting somewhere

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1570174014659723265

[jamestroll]

Copy, cut, and paste Colorado's labor laws into the Fair Labor Standards Act and you greatly improve conditions of most workers without significant economic or employment damage.

Also, absolutely no unions in the public sector.

[Joe Republic]

These tweets were censored because the username has a naughty word in it.

BNSF is the largest rail company in the US. Last year they had a net income of $8.8B. They have 35k workers. If they kept half of their profit and split the rest with all employees everyone could receive a $125k RAISE.

Instead BNSF is cutting sick days. This is why they strike.

Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the US. Their net income TTM was $6.849B. If they kept half and split that profit with their 32,124 workers everyone could get an extra $106,602 per year on top of what they are currently being paid.

CSX is the 3rd largest. They had $3.939B in net income. If they did the same profit split with their 20,900 employees everyone would get a $94k increase.

Norfolk Southern is 4th and had $3.033B with 18,100 employees. That's a $84k/year raise per person.

Let the strikes begin!!!

[beaver2.0]

Just agree to their demands so my commute doesn’t get even more messed up.

[Badger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act#Strikes

The Act also authorized the President to intervene in strikes or potential strikes that create a national emergency

Which of course was always meant by its authors to act against the union to break the strike. Would be awesome irony if it were used in a reverse fashion here.

[Ferguson97]

Also, absolutely no unions in the public sector.

Why?

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act#Strikes

The Act also authorized the President to intervene in strikes or potential strikes that create a national emergency

Which of course was always meant by its authors to act against the union to break the strike. Would be awesome irony if it were used in a reverse fashion here.

I mean such a strike would cause an economic crises so yah it should be broken up . This is not comparable to workers from Amazon hypothetically walking out at all

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act#Strikes

The Act also authorized the President to intervene in strikes or potential strikes that create a national emergency

Which of course was always meant by its authors to act against the union to break the strike. Would be awesome irony if it were used in a reverse fashion here.

I mean such a strike would cause an economic crises so yah it should be broken up . This is not comparable to workers from Amazon hypothetically walking out at all

I agree with jimmie that we should adopt Colorado's laws. They seem to be pretty good.

[Mister Mets]

It's interesting how this could be a really big deal, but it wasn't talked much about. It seems to have boiled over today.

I'm guessing the media didn't want to spend on this story in the event nothing came of it and now they're playing catch-up.

[Progressive Pessimist]

As much as I support unions I also support Democrats doing as well as possible this November and I sincerely hope for an outcome that can benefit both of those of ideals.

It's interesting how this could be a really big deal, but it wasn't talked much about. It seems to have boiled over today.

I'm guessing the media didn't want to spend on this story in the event nothing came of it and now they're playing catch-up.

They had to finish covering the aftermath of the Queen's death/Charles' ascent first.

[jamestroll]

I can not believe the left is willing to do this and only to lose elections. If they do not get 100% of what they want, they will freak out only to lose elections and get none of what they want!

Who do you think teachers strike, mass transit strikes, etc hurt the most? The power and working class.

[jamestroll]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act#Strikes

The Act also authorized the President to intervene in strikes or potential strikes that create a national emergency

if there is a strike I hope Biden shuts it all down on the striking.

railroad workers and teachers aren't some protected species that we must all cave into their demands.

[jamestroll]

block the strike! I DO NOT CARE for these railway workers trying to wreck the entire economy.

Why is the left always willing to wreck the entire economy over virtue signaling?

I did concede to the left that there is not much we can do domestically about inflation at this point.. but with strikes and covid they are 100% WRONG.

[new_patomic]

I can not believe the left is willing to do this and only to lose elections. If they do not get 100% of what they want, they will freak out only to lose elections and get none of what they want!

Who do you think teachers strike, mass transit strikes, etc hurt the most? The power and working class.

I don't think anyone on the left wants to do this.

I think it's more so that the rail carriers are actually being this irresponsible. That they're arguably starting to jeopardize our national security by weakening the resiliency of our entire logistics network.

[Ferguson97]

block the strike! I DO NOT CARE for these railway workers trying to wreck the entire economy.

Why is the left always willing to wreck the entire economy over virtue signaling?

I did concede to the left that there is not much we can do domestically about inflation at this point.. but with strikes and covid they are 100% WRONG.

Why do you assume that the striking railworkers are 'the left'?

[OSR stands with Israel]

block the strike! I DO NOT CARE for these railway workers trying to wreck the entire economy.

Why is the left always willing to wreck the entire economy over virtue signaling?

I did concede to the left that there is not much we can do domestically about inflation at this point.. but with strikes and covid they are 100% WRONG.

Why do you assume that the striking railworkers are 'the left'?

Union bosses are usually left wing but even if they were not I wouldn’t care . Strikes that threaten the economy this way should be broken up

[Ferguson97]

block the strike! I DO NOT CARE for these railway workers trying to wreck the entire economy.

Why is the left always willing to wreck the entire economy over virtue signaling?

I did concede to the left that there is not much we can do domestically about inflation at this point.. but with strikes and covid they are 100% WRONG.

Why do you assume that the striking railworkers are 'the left'?

Union bosses are usually left wing but even if they were not I wouldn’t care . Strikes that threaten the economy this way should be broken up

How about we just give the workers what they're asking for so that there's no need for a strike?

[jamestroll]

block the strike! I DO NOT CARE for these railway workers trying to wreck the entire economy.

Why is the left always willing to wreck the entire economy over virtue signaling?

I did concede to the left that there is not much we can do domestically about inflation at this point.. but with strikes and covid they are 100% WRONG.

Why do you assume that the striking railworkers are 'the left'?

I think the anger is more at Democrats for being non-sociopaths who might seek to help mistreated workers before immediately defaulting to clobbering the crap out of them.

You know, "virtue signalling."

Like having workers with collapsing health or replacing them with inexperienced scabs won't harm America's economy. Like the immeasurably wealthy companies couldn't give them sick days and days off for funerals.

Most companies offer vacation pay, sick pay, bereavement pay, etc. Would I codify it into law? probably yes. Especially if it means less unions.

Colorado has a reasonable minimum wage, mandates paid sick leave, reasonable break laws and allows for overtime pay after 12 hours of work in a work day.  (though I would personally change it to 10).