Rail bosses said no to paid sick leave--so we're still on track for a strike.

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2022/09/rail-strike-biden-deal-unions-sick-leave-strike/

Earlier this month, when railroad workers threatened to strike over “grueling” conditions—like formal discipline for taking any time off at all—the Biden administration brokered a tentative deal, avoiding a work stoppage that could have crippled supply chains and cost the US billions of dollars a day. Crisis averted.

Or not. As more details of the deal come to light, it’s unclear that union members—who have to vote on the deal—will get on board. Workers had complained of weeks on call without a day off, overwork after staff cuts, and underpayment amid high inflation. One engineer told my colleague Noah Lanard that workers were “just fighting for the basic right to be able to be people outside of the railroad”—not for the $10 million–plus pay packages of top rail CEOs.

The current proposal offers raises, limits the rise of health care premiums, and tweaks a tight scheduling system used to cut staffing. But the sticking point in negotiations has been sick time. Despite rail workers’ unpredictable schedules, they’re penalized for sick days, medical visits, and family emergencies. The consequences of the strict sick-day policy can be fatal: In June, the Washington Post reported, a locomotive engineer died when he suffered a heart attack on the job—after postponing a doctor’s visit because he’d been called into work.

The tentative agreement removes penalties for up to three routine medical visits a year—but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, and only if scheduled 30 days in advance. As some union members pointed out to the New York Times, you can’t always know a month ahead of time that you’ll need care, and unions already often manage to undo the discipline workers receive after unpaid leaves for health care.

*snip*

[elleng]

1. OH FFS!!!

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. That's bullshit

If their schedule is so tight that people can't go to the doctor or take sick leave, they need to hire more people. People being on call should be paid more so it's worth it too them.

[SheltieLover]

5. Absolutely!

Wtf is it with these companies?

FedEx is very similar, working people to death. Why won't they just hire more people??? FedEx was this way well before covid hit.

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. Public companies are all about quarterly profits

because it affects the price of the stock. Who owns most of the stock? Overpaid executives and other rich people.

[SheltieLover]

9. Of course greed drives them

But overtime costs more.

[SheltieLover]

3. These companies need to get out of plantation mentality! 🤬

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Which is why politicians saying it was settled was not a smart move.

[Elessar Zappa]

6. This needs to be settled in favor of the workers.

Besides bad working conditions, a strike would cripple our supply chain and would probably affect the midterms.

[TigressDem]

7. The railroads have been around long enough to know better.

This isn't 1920, it's 2022.

[Mme. Defarge]

10. Will the final vote happen before or after

the November election?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Before.

[Mme. Defarge]

13. Well,

I did ask.

[Joinfortmill]

12. Jesus, corporate types suck

[Brainfodder]

14. People over people hiding behind corporations is the civil war worth fighting?

[Bayard]

15. Three routine medical visits a year

So, they don't get paid if they have an emergency?