Wait - I thought they said Biden brilliantly settled this
The third-largest railroad union rejected its deal with freight railroads Monday — renewing the possibility of a strike that could cripple the economy — but before that could happen both sides will return to the bargaining table.
I would like to know exactly what they are bargaining for that is worth yet more damage to the country.
Where are their wages and benefits compared to the average private citizen? Are they not already working a lucrative job compared to most of their private sector counterparts?
I turned down a job as an railroad electrician that paid twice what I was making at the time as a relatively well-paid electrician in a local factory.
Why? Because I HATE the government and this is a government job, generally a place where lazy people go to retire, subsidized by you and I and many other people who wouldn't set foot on a goddam train. Yeah, yeah, they carry freight...at a loss while we, the people, prop them up - not much different than the post office, with it's annual losses and generous bonuses.
Railroad are not government jobs. I work on call 24/7. I have no scheduled days off. If my wife, mother, children etc. ask me if I will be home for their birthday, Christmas, doctors appointment, next week, tomorrow etc my answer is "I don't know." I don't know when to go to sleep to prepare for my next work shift because I don't know when that will be. Once I go to work I don't know when I'll get off work. I don't know how long I will sit in a hotel room out of town waiting to get a shift to come home. I don't know if I will get called out of town for two days just an hour before my weeks vacation is about to start (the only scheduled time off I have).
The issues aren't wages and benefits - unless you figure that the employees would accept an increase in such to make them worth what they were in a historical context in lieu of improvements in quality of life. But the railroads have made the quality of life worse over the last 20 years without commensurate improvements in wages and benefits. In matter of fact, the railroads have fought tooth and nail for every possible improvement in wages and benefits to the point that such has not kept up with the cost of living while at the same time decreasing quality of life.
And again - this is not a government job. It is a government allowed monopoly/utility. They are not, however, subsidized or carry freight at a loss. They make BILLIONS. With a B and in plural.
They can't attract new employees at their current wage and lifestyle level. Current employees are leaving at historic rates. This is a job that traditionally people would need a relative to even get and would never leave. That should tell me, you, and everyone that something smells in the industry.
Here's what it is - The railroads want autonomous trains. The people of America aren't sure they want google to be driving trains full of explosive and poisonous material through their towns. So the feds won't let the railroads let facebook drive their trains. But if the railroads come to the government and claim that they just simply can't get people who are willing to drive their trains, and therefore Joe Voter isn't going to be able to get his amazon shipments unless the government allows them to use microsoft auto-pilot to drive the trains -they are hoping the government lets them do that so they can fire a shit-ton of workers and have the entire system automated.
I drive those trains. I work with their current 'auto control' computers. If they went full autonomous I would make sure I lived well away from any active railroad track. Take from that whatever you like.
38 years was enough for me. 24/7 being on call, rarely any holidays off, ever increasing territory to cover with less people and no down time. PSR-PTC was the decision maker. People do not understand the railroad life...and think any off the street idiot can step in and run jobs on the RR. Far from the truth. Management does not think the workers contribute to their billion dollar profits, so maybe it is time for a strike..
Yes, the current administration in particular, and the entitled class in general (mostly government types) want automation. They want an impoverished class to build and maintain that automation, but completely on their terms. Extreme poverty drives people into extreme competition for jobs, on whatever terms necessary to bring home that loaf of bread. This is why they are doing everything they can to destroy the middle class. Their ideal of social order is just the two classes, the privileged, and the servants.
I am so darn sick of this whiney crap. These assholes (like most public sector workers) make rediculous wages and benefits. Don't like working 70 hour work weeks?? Then be a man and quit and go find something else. I know that is what I did.
Anon@15 - read the second comment in this thread. You obviously don't have a fucking clue as to what their jobs entail. You think you can do a better job? Hop to it, partner. You think you can do without railroads? Good luck with that.
Oh waayyy. What the job entails. I have done everything from finance to manual labor and electrical work. These union assholes pretty much make double what anyone in the private sector makes. I think that is time to pull a "Reagan" and fire these assholes if they won't stay on the job. I hear that it worked pretty well for the Air Trafic Controllers.
IT IS PRIVATE SECTOR. Repeated for those in the back....
And double? Yeah - I suppose I make double what a McDonalds burger flipper makes. When I'm working. That fast food employee doesn't sit half their life in a cheap hotel room away from their family for free though...
"Then be a man and quit and go find something else. I know that is what I did."
Really? You didn't approach your employer and ask for a raise? Or an improvement in working conditions? You just quit instead of discussing it? That sounds like childish behavior rather than that of an adult.
You know, like my organized labor group and our employers are attempting to do to resolve our collective differences.
You know what a strike is? That's a collective version of, after asking your boss to stop treating you like shit - saying if you don't we will quit. And again, that's after repeated attempts to fix the problems. Unlike your supposed solution.
I would like to know exactly what they are bargaining for that is worth yet more damage to the country.
ReplyDeleteWhere are their wages and benefits compared to the average private citizen? Are they not already working a lucrative job compared to most of their private sector counterparts?
I turned down a job as an railroad electrician that paid twice what I was making at the time as a relatively well-paid electrician in a local factory.
Why? Because I HATE the government and this is a government job, generally a place where lazy people go to retire, subsidized by you and I and many other people who wouldn't set foot on a goddam train. Yeah, yeah, they carry freight...at a loss while we, the people, prop them up - not much different than the post office, with it's annual losses and generous bonuses.
Whiny bitches.
Ed
Railroad are not government jobs. I work on call 24/7. I have no scheduled days off. If my wife, mother, children etc. ask me if I will be home for their birthday, Christmas, doctors appointment, next week, tomorrow etc my answer is "I don't know." I don't know when to go to sleep to prepare for my next work shift because I don't know when that will be. Once I go to work I don't know when I'll get off work. I don't know how long I will sit in a hotel room out of town waiting to get a shift to come home. I don't know if I will get called out of town for two days just an hour before my weeks vacation is about to start (the only scheduled time off I have).
DeleteThe issues aren't wages and benefits - unless you figure that the employees would accept an increase in such to make them worth what they were in a historical context in lieu of improvements in quality of life. But the railroads have made the quality of life worse over the last 20 years without commensurate improvements in wages and benefits. In matter of fact, the railroads have fought tooth and nail for every possible improvement in wages and benefits to the point that such has not kept up with the cost of living while at the same time decreasing quality of life.
And again - this is not a government job. It is a government allowed monopoly/utility. They are not, however, subsidized or carry freight at a loss. They make BILLIONS. With a B and in plural.
They can't attract new employees at their current wage and lifestyle level. Current employees are leaving at historic rates. This is a job that traditionally people would need a relative to even get and would never leave. That should tell me, you, and everyone that something smells in the industry.
Here's what it is - The railroads want autonomous trains. The people of America aren't sure they want google to be driving trains full of explosive and poisonous material through their towns. So the feds won't let the railroads let facebook drive their trains. But if the railroads come to the government and claim that they just simply can't get people who are willing to drive their trains, and therefore Joe Voter isn't going to be able to get his amazon shipments unless the government allows them to use microsoft auto-pilot to drive the trains -they are hoping the government lets them do that so they can fire a shit-ton of workers and have the entire system automated.
I drive those trains. I work with their current 'auto control' computers. If they went full autonomous I would make sure I lived well away from any active railroad track. Take from that whatever you like.
38 years was enough for me. 24/7 being on call, rarely any holidays off, ever increasing territory to cover with less people and no down time. PSR-PTC was the decision maker. People do not understand the railroad life...and think any off the street idiot can step in and run jobs on the RR. Far from the truth. Management does not think the workers contribute to their billion dollar profits, so maybe it is time for a strike..
DeleteYes, the current administration in particular, and the entitled class in general (mostly government types) want automation. They want an impoverished class to build and maintain that automation, but completely on their terms. Extreme poverty drives people into extreme competition for jobs, on whatever terms necessary to bring home that loaf of bread. This is why they are doing everything they can to destroy the middle class. Their ideal of social order is just the two classes, the privileged, and the servants.
DeleteHe settled it by getting them to wait until after mid-terms to strike so it can be blamed on the red wave that is coming.
ReplyDeleteBiden couldn't solve a "Which current president shits his pants weekly"? question.
ReplyDeleteAnother democrat lying, who would have thought that!
ReplyDeleteNobody fucks with FJB.
ReplyDeleteWell... except for the baby sitter of his kids.
DeleteI am so darn sick of this whiney crap. These assholes (like most public sector workers) make rediculous wages and benefits. Don't like working 70 hour work weeks?? Then be a man and quit and go find something else. I know that is what I did.
DeleteAnon@15 - read the second comment in this thread. You obviously don't have a fucking clue as to what their jobs entail. You think you can do a better job? Hop to it, partner. You think you can do without railroads? Good luck with that.
DeleteOh waayyy. What the job entails. I have done everything from finance to manual labor and electrical work. These union assholes pretty much make double what anyone in the private sector makes. I think that is time to pull a "Reagan" and fire these assholes if they won't stay on the job. I hear that it worked pretty well for the Air Trafic Controllers.
DeleteSo you know how to operate a locomotive then? Cool.
DeleteIT IS PRIVATE SECTOR. Repeated for those in the back....
DeleteAnd double? Yeah - I suppose I make double what a McDonalds burger flipper makes. When I'm working. That fast food employee doesn't sit half their life in a cheap hotel room away from their family for free though...
"Then be a man and quit and go find something else. I know that is what I did."
Really? You didn't approach your employer and ask for a raise? Or an improvement in working conditions? You just quit instead of discussing it? That sounds like childish behavior rather than that of an adult.
You know, like my organized labor group and our employers are attempting to do to resolve our collective differences.
You know what a strike is? That's a collective version of, after asking your boss to stop treating you like shit - saying if you don't we will quit. And again, that's after repeated attempts to fix the problems. Unlike your supposed solution.