National Railroads Strike in September?

Considering the media coverage given the possibility of a strike, this certainly shows that the railroad industry is hardly "out of sight, out of mind".

Such was the title of a DPM editorial in TRAINS sometime during the 60's.

I just love how people are always saying they don't want government involved any other time but now all of the sudden they want congress to get involved to force a contract on us.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Wed Sep 14, 2022 2:47 pm Considering the media coverage given the possibility of a strike, this certainly shows that the railroad industry is hardly "out of sight, out of mind".

Such was the title of a DPM editorial in TRAINS sometime during the 60's.

I think yesterday was a decent story on it on the NBC Nightly News.

Even a clean toilet on a locomotive can be an adventure. I'll grant this was on jointed rail of a former mainline that had seen just enough maintenance to keep the trains running, for decades at that point, but the bottom line is you really needed three hands, or they needed to add handle bars like a handicapped stall. Getting what needed to go where it was supposed to go was an extreme challenge.

I could see things going in the direction they did when I applied with CSX. Instead of picking young guys who they could train and potentially retain longer they picked two guys with previous experience - for Penn Central. That would be fine except in 2001 Penn Central may as well have been 1950. About that same time a friend of mine got hurt on the job and was treated poorly by CSX. That killed my interest.

taracer wrote: ↑Wed Sep 14, 2022 3:06 pm I just love how people are always saying they don't want government involved any other time but now all of the sudden they want congress to get involved to force a contract on us.

They're getting scared that their stocks are tumbling .
Note my pension may hold railroad stock.

UNP took a 3.7% hit today.

Disclaimer: Long

Sounds like Amtrak is canceling their long distance trains on Thursday due to the strike.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-polic ... il-strike/

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 14, 2022 7:13 pm Sounds like Amtrak is canceling their long distance trains on Thursday due to the strike.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-polic ... il-strike/

They have to.

Can't have passengers stranded on some siding in the Rockies or the middle of the Sonoran Desert when the clock strikes midnight on Thursday.

Mr. BRAC, last runs were #3(12) and #5(12) for the two by my locale. Today on my walk, observed #6(12), as it was 145ML.

taracer wrote:I just love how people are always saying they don't want government involved any other time but now all of the sudden they want congress to get involved to force a contract on us.

Not me. Let the strike happen. Keep Congress out of it.

The harsh reality is most people in the US don't have enough savings in the bank to skip a single paycheck, so will to strike or not, I expect the rank and file might not be able to hold out as long as management can.

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eolesen wrote: ↑Thu Sep 15, 2022 1:31 am

taracer wrote:I just love how people are always saying they don't want government involved any other time but now all of the sudden they want congress to get involved to force a contract on us.

Not me. Let the strike happen. Keep Congress out of it.

The harsh reality is most people in the US don't have enough savings in the bank to skip a single paycheck, so will to strike or not, I expect the rank and file might not be able to hold out as long as management can.

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Zero chance a strike, if it happens, would go on long enough for people to miss several paychecks. The consequences of even a one-week stoppage would be so dire for the national economy that Congress would undoubtedly step in and force the issue. Especially since the Midterm elections are coming up in less than 2 months.

Tentative deal reached.

NBC News teasing tentative deal announced by the White House on Today show.

Main article on their web site. No details, but with the agreement another cooling-off period is in place to allow union membership to vote.

The can has been kicked down the road.

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 15, 2022 5:17 am Tentative deal reached.

NY Times just posted a news item.

Of course, now the memberships have to ratify.

A report of a deal, as reported by the Washington Post, only moments ago...

"Biden says ‘tentative’ deal reached to avert rail strike"
https://wapo.st/3qDptCf

And here's the statement from the White House
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-roo ... agreement/

And the statement from the AAR
https://www.aar.org/news/freight-railro ... e-averted/