National Railroads Strike in September?

My point was CO2 moves by rail. Every single restaurant and convenient store fountain uses CO2. There are already problems with CO2 supplies. When McD's can't serve soda, the feces impacts the rotary air distribution device. THEN the public will care!

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:17 pm

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 8:41 am Mr. Blaisdell, off topic and off rails. I never knew the "suds" in beer, of which I have not partaken since college (almost true), comes from CO2!!!!

Read before this is killed.

Let me get it back on the rails with a comparison. Yes, it's CO2 -- I worked in a movie mega-theater and they train you that if the CO2 supply tanks start leaking, you're evacuating the entire complex. Those things supply the soda fountains that fizz up your soda. When Coke/Pepsi/local soda bottler cans your soda, they pour it and seal it.

Would it work on a train? Maybe, but it's too risky, so it's bottled/canned all the way. Better to have a soda can go *pop* than a CO2 tank kill the staff and passengers.

At least the union isn't demanding soda fountains in every engine...

JBlaisdell wrote: ↑Thu Sep 15, 2022 7:23 am My point was CO2 moves by rail. Every single restaurant and convenient store fountain uses CO2. There are already problems with CO2 supplies. When McD's can't serve soda, the feces impacts the rotary air distribution device. THEN the public will care!

Ah, so they do ship the CO2 tanks by rail. Okay.

Apparently they also ship water purification chemicals by rail, too, as per news media. So this got big attention.

https://youtu.be/dY6Uck5uhO4

My faith in the Railway Labor Act is renewed.

As I have consistently noted through this discussion, as well as the related topics elsewhere at the site, the Act has done a commendable job of keeping "Labor Peace" than has other Labor legislation - namely the Trilogy.

The Act forces the parties come together, under the direction of the President, and not leave for sixty days. While Joe, and for that matter Pete, were not directly involved (they both were at an auto show in Detroit yesterday at which Joe proclaimed "I'm a car guy"), aides through the Transportation Dept "chain" were to mediate. This is in contrast to the Trilogy (Taft-Hartley) which says "you will work it out or we will get an injunction and put you back to work". T-H ultimately removes workers right to strike. Democrats have traditionally held to this right, and that is why T-H was enacted over Truman's veto (I was around for such; Truman had less popularity than does Joe at present; yet the Notable Scholars rank him 6th of 44).

Just read this, a tentative agreement reached. Some details

No increases to co pays or deductibles and no disruptions to the current health care networks

The ability to take time away from work for to attend routine and preventative medical care as well as exemptions from attendance policies for hospitalizations and surgeries

Highest wage increase in 45 years

It now has to be ratified by the rank and file

Mr. Junkie, aside from some "questionable" clips within such, such as that freight train running under wires was from somewhere overseas, the Engineer interviewed was a good spokesman. I think he was "talking from the heart" when he strongly infers that the dispute is more over working conditions than pay rates:

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/vi ... 8456517734

At least, as an Amtrak Passenger Engineer, you know when you will be called; this guy doesn't.

WashPo reporter Lauren K Gurley and J.Stein has some of the juicier details:

• Workers can now take days off for medical care w/o being subject to discipline.
• Workers will get voluntary assigned days off AND a single additional paid day off.

Okay, better.

@JStein_WaPo
reports that Biden was personally animated about the lack of leave for railroad workers, and brought up that he did not understand why they could not be granted more flexible schedules.

<insert choice of meme here />

https://twitter.com/LaurenKGurley/statu ... 2978201601 for info

Wow, did The Journal's Editorial Board ever "tee off" on Joe and Labor:

Fair Use:

President Biden touts himself as a dear friend of labor unions, and he and Democrats in Congress have authorized trillions of dollars in new spending and wage mandates on private business to prove it. But we’re about to find out how much sway Mr. Biden really has with Big Labor as the White House attempts to head off a destructive national strike by railway workers.

The threat has been building for some time, but an official “cooling off” period ends at 12:01 a.m. Friday when unions could go on strike. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is trying to negotiate a settlement, and most unions have agreed to generous company terms recommended by a Presidential Emergency Board established in July by Mr. Biden.

This editorial was written pre-settlement, but I do not think the Board gives credit to the Railway Labor Act's provisions to compel the parties together under the tutelage of the President (be it Joe or Trump really matters not in this case), and the resources the Federal government has to mediate a dispute.

Really, the Act works!!

Finally, I commend the Board for their recognition "that there's no Midnight" on the railroad (possibly other transportation as well), but I think the Emergency Board would have expired 1159P tonight.

In other words, everybody blinked.

Let's see if it's enough for the membership.

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Mr. Olesen, "everybody has to" if a dispute is to be resolved.

I think the Grand Lodges, will come down hard on their Members, saying "we got you something with paid medical time mark off, so get in line".

Admin note

If the contracts are ratified, then this will move to being a standard topic in general class I and II discussion.

For me, I think with Biden not only being a part of the negotiations but also saying, essentially, "WTF is with the attendance policy, it makes no sense even with your explanation" was what helped the deal. I would not be surprised if the word "nationalization" was spoken because of that.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 15, 2022 11:10 am Mr. Olesen, "everybody has to" if a dispute is to be resolved.

I think the Grand Lodges, will come down hard on their Members, saying "we got you something with paid medical time mark off, so get in line".

I do not believe its paid time off for medical care. It's the ability to take time off for medical care without discipline. I'm sure you will need 75 forms of proof in triplicate faxed to 3000 different numbers and emailed to 5000 more only to be told ahh ya I never received that paperwork. Then denied your day off after the fact and brought up on charges.

Let the membership vote, I always hate it when the local chairman comes and says "this is the best your going to get". This maybe but lets the rank and file decide.

Not looking for paid time off for medical.

Under the current attendance policy, you get points even with a doctor's note. You cannot mark off sick without getting points and you have to go to an investigation to get them removed. Thats at CSX. I think some railroads subtract points but it's all the same thing.

The lifestyle makes us more likely to get sick, even if it's just the common cold. The thing is we are in charge of and transport things that can do a huge amount of damage if things go wrong. I don't think it's unreasonable that if I feel that I cannot safely perform my duty because I don't feel well for whatever reason, I should be able to mark off and let some other engineer take the train. This would of course include not feeling rested because the company can't follow their own train line ups. You can't manage your rest any more.

We should be able to do this without penalty, since you don't get paid. In fact, that was the way it used to be, before PSR cut labor to the bone.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:https://youtu.be/dY6Uck5uhO4

My faith in the Railway Labor Act is renewed.

As I have consistently noted through this discussion, as well as the related topics elsewhere at the site, the Act has done a commendable job of keeping "Labor Peace" than has other Labor legislation - namely the Trilogy.

I think Harry Truman was the last president to not have a college degree. Maybe they were onto something with that and today's institutions.

The biggest question if the members ratify the contract, is will it stem the tide of resignations. Already if a family member or friend asks a Union employee about working for a Class I carrier, they tend to do what ever they can to discourage them. Also people with experience are looking to move to any Class II or Class III carrier that will allow them to maintain their pensions. There is talk at some terminals about waiting for their Back Pay and Bonus checks and then resigning. We will have to wait and see what happens next.