57 comments

  1. All they want is sick days? That’s the least these companies could provide!! These companies are too large and greedy. Bring back antitrust regulations please!! Workers have gone backwards in pay and benefits for the last 40 years and it ridiculous

    1. @tsuke isawa Not that easy. Takes a long time to train even a simple trainmen. Can’t give these people time off without hiring people. What are you going to do in the interim? You need to hire thousands of people, basically most of the people they laid off over the last 5 years. Then you need to train them. That takes years. You don’t have years because the railroad is a national security interest and you have the federal govt. barking down your neck demanding you fix this NOW!

      I worked for a railroad. We were talking about this YEARS ago. It took them years to dig this hole. You aren’t going to fix it overnight.

    2. @Floyd B Yes, they should have. But “should have” doesn’t fix the problem. Neither does just giving them sick time if you don’t realistically have the people to fill in for them. And again, this isn’t some candy store, this is a NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST. The executives in charge don’t have the option to just slow down for a bit while they hire more people. They are MANDATED by the federal govt. to get this thing running and keep it running.

      So what’s going to happen when they get more time off is that it will be denied. Just like it always was. They’ll be paid out for their time and forced to work it or loose their jobs.

      They have to bargain to force the carriers (railroads) to hire back the people they got rid of over the last 5 years. You can’t run a railroad AND give these people enough time off with this few of people working there. That’s the root cause of this. Everything else is just a symptom. Until they hire more people, you’re going to have this problem because the govt. mandates that this thing keeps rolling. And to keep it rolling with the current staffing, you have to run them ragged.

  2. It’s not only about salary but working conditions – negotiating has been going on for a long time *it’s not the workers fault that owners and operators won’t hire enough employees to allow them to take time off for being sick or take a family member to the doctor or attend a sudden funeral without worrying about losing their job or losing their paycheck.*

    1. @emmaspacelee is this your best example of critical thinking?

      In your example gas companies weren’t facing striking workers they raise the pricey is just because they could as the railroad still may do, even if the government ends or prevents the strike and they suffer no actual economic loss.

  3. Railroads have cut thousands of jobs the last few years yet they want fewer workers to keep up the same production.

  4. I don’t understand how they can force us back to work. Last I heard the last strike lasted a few hours. It’s not just about the pay it’s about our quality of life. Our new hi viz attendance policy is outrageous and gives me even less time with family and punishes my attendance points just trying to make a dr appointment. After back pay I see a lot of us leaving still until we see real change.

    1. @Sean McCartney The Federal government can impose travel restrictions railroad workers who strike? And deny them entry to many restaurants and events? I don’t know what the railroad strike version of that looks like do you?

    2. @Asleep Awake Not Forced? What is a mandate? What does it mean when an employer says “You have to abide by the mandate or you’r fired”?
      As for the last statement, Are you keeping track of tragedy? Ifso how many died under Bidens reign?

  5. Take care of your employees… Pointe final!
    The hours are tough, and the job is very dangerous without knowledgeable and trained workers doing it day, and day out! Pay them a fair wage and fussing about sick days!

    1. @RealRareAP people are much weaker now than previous generations. People lose their temper on slow Wi-Fi so the thought that younger Americans can handle avocados being unavailable is naive. People have it so easy these days they make up problem to be oppressed by. It’s gotten pretty bad

    2. @Veterancon your generation literally killed someone if a black person ate a burger at your favorite diner.

    3. @Illinois State Police I’m 34 so you are out in left field . But my parents were in their mid 40s when I was born so I was raised better than most .

  6. Please research the Hi Viz attendance policy BNSF implemented in February without the consent of the union. You’ll understand why the last two unions are holding out. I don’t blame them.

    1. Union Pacific has implemented a policy closely mirroring that of the BNSF. In the roundhouse they won’t tell us our policy they say it’s an algorithm that is used to write us up.

  7. Notice how the news bent is not getting a clue on the issues of the workers. It’s focused on blaming workers on what could happen. Workers everywhere need a decent wage and time for their life. Mega-Corporations get enough bailouts and profits. The railroads need to hire more people. The railroad cars also need better security.

  8. This is what happens when bosses don’t wanna give employees the minimum on what they’re asking for regarding working conditions, pay or benefits.

    Biden better go more aggressive and push for a quick conclusion.

  9. Goodness. Those people just want sick days. Be humane and give that to them!! The govt should force rail officials to give those sick days!!!

  10. Just give the workers what they want! Why do we begrudge working people the pay and benefits to support their lives as our middle class neighbors?

    1. Because capitalism requires it. And criticizing capitalism has been defined as a sign of “domestic violent extremism”.

    2. Here where I live (Europe) sick days and paid days off just to take care of your family business or whatever is paid limited but paid. It’s bizzare that anyone in developed country have to fight for such things 😳

  11. If congress intervenes you just gonna have people quiting and I don’t know who in there right mind would work for a rail company with that kind of attendance policy it’s inhumane

  12. I looked in to the railroad industry a few months ago when career shopping. By all accounts, the conditions were described horrible. Overworked, understaffed, underpaid, always on call etc…

    1. @KIT Stone yes, a choice to bring the whole thing down. that’s the only choice people like you leave others. enjoy your strike.

  13. Buffet wants to go to a one man crew and has been pushing for this for years. I’m betting that’s the fix the railroad is pushing. Airliners require 2 pilots for a reason, trains with 150 cars going 55+ mph aren’t safe with 1 operator,,, working 276 hours a month.. or more. Everyone should think about that every time they see a train going over a crossing.

  14. You should see how many of us railroaders are veterans. Personally I want to see my family more and my kids grow up. I lost enough time in the military being deployed fighting for this country.

  15. If the company refuses the budge, the economy SHOULD crash. What’s really wild is that it’s 2022, and working conditions and hours for the railway has gotten THIS bad. America ALLOWED it to become this way. If working your employees ragged is the only to keep the country afloat, maybe the country SHOULDN’T stay afloat.

  16. I’m about to head for training in a month. This disturbs me deeply. I hope this issue is resolved quickly and the workers get what they want.

    1. @Ciera Cockerham that’s not happening. It’s been my dream since I was little. I’m not gonna pass up the opportunity to do this job. I know what it’s like and I’m ready for it. Also a deal finally got made so there’s not gonna be a strike. I’m excited to go to training and have the opportunity.

    2. @Skullcracker367 If you want to do it, go for it. Just remember that the scheduling won’t allow you to have a healthy relationship with your wife and children. If you don’t have either of those, then you won’t have to worry about that.

  17. “We need railroad workers they cant strike” “oh, but we’re not going to pay them more or give them a quality of life”

  18. I watched a Union Pacific recruitment video and the amount of bs conductors and engineers have to tolerate is of epic proportions. To become one, you must spend several years in the train yard constantly exposed to the elements, where everything that moves can easily kill you. Then after working so long you get put on furlough for a huge amount of time, where they might not even ever call you back. Those that do finally wind up as conductor or engineer have to tolerate 24-7 on call availability, 12 on and off shifts, with no chances for sick or personal days. And keep in mind not only is the railroad our most vital infrastructure, but they also carry some of the most dangerous chemicals and materials that can and have caused tremendous amounts of death and destruction.

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