Posted on 09/14/2022 9:19:58 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
Negotiators from railroad carriers and unions met in Labor Secretary Marty Walsh’s office Wednesday as the sides tried to negotiate a deal ahead of Friday’s strike deadline.
The meeting started just after 9 a.m. ET.
The railroads, for their part, “have no plans to lock out workers Friday should negotiations not be successfully completed,” the Association of American Railroads told CNBC.
Dennis Pierce, the unions’ top negotiator, said members have warned 10% of the workforce could leave if the issues aren’t resolved before the deadline. Sick time policies and quality of life concerns were the biggest sticking points remaining.
“Our proposal of no paid sick time costs them no money. It’s something they can manage. It doesn’t harm their business model,” said Pierce, who is the president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, or BLET. “The railroads need to start treating employees like humans, instead of imposing these policies that are just running people out of the industry.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
BNSF starts with a 30-point system. If you lay off for sickness, family emergency, or a funeral it costs you so many points. However, to gain back those points takes much more time than the actual time lost, so you work longer to make up the points. If you lose all 30, you are suspended or terminated. Pretty draconian in today’s work environment.
Depends on who is actually pulling these strings...
Last I checked, railroad workers have some of the best benefits packages there are (for non-executive positions). Incredible retirement benefits in particular.
Yes, rail workers are important. As are truckers. As are a myraid of other jobs. The problem is - between the forced minimum wage increases and artificial money supply fueling rampant inflation - everyone seems to think they need more money and benefits. They simply don’t realize that their demands only fuel the problem. Wages can never keep up with, or surpass inflation - especially when inflation is over 8%!!! Raising wages to “keep up” will only double or triple inflation in short order.
It seems there are a LOT of selfish folks and/or those who have never taken a basic economics course (or maybe they did and failed?).
“in today’s work environment”...
At least they have a policy that an employee can map and utilize. Some employers have a “mark” system that you accumulate those marks for ANY unscheduled absence from work - sick, emergency, etc.. If not pre-scheduled, you get a mark. Most have a 2 or 3-mark rule. #2, you are warned. #3 - you are gone. THAT is far more draconian.
This “lay off” (aka - unscheduled absence or leave) is likely just another means of the same end goal as many employers - where you have to EARN those extra days off for sick/emergency. And lest we forget - an unscheduled skipped work day costs the employer more than just a day’s wages - but also in productivity, extra work for others (including if they have to call someone in to fill the hole). What is “unfair” about having to earn back those points expended?
It is this kind of entitlement attitude that is helping drive these demands.
My guess is the Union is very reluctant to cripple the country this close to the mid terms.
Where is “Mayor” Pete? Isn’t he now supposed to be in charge of issues related to transportation? Maybe he’s still on paternity leave and not to be disturbed.
Leading from his behind.
Biden’s Sec. Walch will purposefully screw it up.
Weyerhaeuser Oregon & Washington went on strike yesterday.
Then you won't have to guess.
There will be a purposeful work slowdown if it doesnt happen and no agreement is reached.
generally speaking, union leadership doesn’t give a damn about union members....
ALL union leaderships care for themselves far more than the lowly union proles doing the actual work.
The average salary for a Locomotive Engineer is $97,995/year.
Not sure how accurate that is, but according to this website:
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Locomotive_Engineer/Salary
1. Every day I see trains hauling 100+ cars filled with oil from North Dakota or Canada. If they strike, the price of gas will skyrocket.
2. The guys working at the RR stations have a very dangerous job. The guys are over worked, told when they HAVE to work. Plus to work for the RR one must have a clean record, no felonies or drug charges. This rules out a big chunk of the young men who could be working for the RR.
Exactly my point. A national rail strike would cripple the country. So l expect the Union to hold off and say the Biden Administration was able to avert an economy killing strike
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