Should a strike occur, there are some supply chain statistics to keep in mind. About 1/3rd of American exports are transported to rail. Freight rail is part of an integrated network of trains, trucks and barges that ships around 61 tons of goods per American every year. Many of those goods include essentials, like energy and food.
As of July 12, over 99% of union workers have voted to authorize a strike.
The Biden administration demonstrated its typical level of competence and effectiveness in dealing with this crisis. Which is to say, a rail strike is now poised to be a “black swan” event ready to lay an egg during the upcoming midterm election.
Fuck these railroad slobs. Traitors the GD Lot!!!
ReplyDeleteBut more importantly…
Fuck UNIONS !!
Be a fucking man, get a job and hold it on your own own fucking skill. .
Or not because of a lack of it.
Unions need to be destroyed and outlawed!!!!
I'm drawing pensions from two different unions. Both unions kept me from getting unfairly fired by bosses that had grudges against me.
DeleteThat being said, I'm not a union man either. I've seen them do some fucked up shit. They will fuck over 399 people in a shop to satisfy one whiny fucker's grievance.
The one good thing they did was put out a pamphlet before election time with their recommendations on how you should vote. If I didn't understand a bill or was undecided on how to vote, I'd just look at their pamphlet and vote the opposite.
I was in management so no union pension, but everything else you typed is correct
DeleteStarker here, WC had different experience in a union than I did. I had to join the Teamers to teach computers at a private tech school. They took dues but never represented me. Each time I got laid off, I had to get a withdrawal card, or I still had to pay dues or worse back dues when I was brought back. With our dues they supported DemonRats, literally donated to Dems! BTW my friend was a bus mechanic and he was shop steward for the teacher's union in a public school.
DeleteI work for a railroad. There will probably be a strike. Labor is not happy. Unions aren't paying attention. Management is either clueless or evil.
ReplyDeleteNone of it will matter because the government has the power to force railroad workers back to work and to take whatever contract the government wishes. They have done so in the past. Railway labor act neuters railroad unions.
But - as I said, labor is unhappy. Engineers and conductors with 10 -15 -20 years of seniority are just walking away these days. Many are just waiting for this long delayed contract and a little chunk of back pay to pull the plug and leave.
The companies are already short handed. They already can't find enough people willing to do the job. Now they are losing those that are left. Enough of those leave and you end up with screwed up supply chain anyway.
Yep. Im one of the droves that never came back in 2020.
DeleteNow Ive seen signing bonuses as high as $20k just for a conductor trainee on BNSF and the position has stayed open for a year.
Good friend works for the railroad. Yeah they are getting treating like crap. However with as much money as they are making if it was me I'd just shut the fuck up and bring home some serious cash. Yeah it sucks - but it sucks worse when your job is shit, long hours, and you're not making anywhere near what they are making.
DeleteThe pay hasn't been keeping up with the times. After taking out union dues and railroad retirement, plus the normal taxes and health coverage - what's left is a poor imitation of that nice looking gross pay number. Not to mention - most of the time that nice large gross pay number is based upon a massive amount of working - not a large pay rate.
DeleteThat's why people aren't applying. People who do show up, work a bit, and leave. And people who've been here are leaving.
Many of them are finding jobs that pay just a touch less without all the extra bullshit and they get to see their families every night.
Saw on zero hedge that right unions had tentatively agreed to new contracts.
ReplyDeleteUnions are both evil and good. They work to keep greedy companies and managers from taking advantage of workers. Then they get greedy and uppity and call for never ending wage hikes for people who don't deserve them while forcibly taking money from workers that they waste on all manner of nonsense.
ReplyDeleteAs for a railroad strike.....it sure as hell isnt' going to help anyone, except perhaps the workers who might get enough of a wage increase to counter their lost wages. Then again they might find themselves replaced with scabs. You never know.
I use the Metra (BNSF) to get to work in downtown Chicago - just received an email this morning stating a potential work stoppage and associated delays may occur starting Friday the 16th due to a freight railroad worker strike.
ReplyDeleteHope all the coal fired power plants have preloaded their piles of coal.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Pete Buttplug is all over this. Oh wait ... nevermind Nemo
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend works at a state university in Illinois. Because of the union rules for the building service workers, she literally can't empty a trash can without calling them. The university used covid money to buy $600 chairs for everyone in the IT department, and they sat in the boxes for two months waiting for the BSWs to put them together. People could not get into their offices because the boxes took up so much room.
ReplyDelete