Rail union REJECTS deal to prevent strike

Investment Analysis Clubs Macro Economic Trends and Risks
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Rail union REJECTS deal to prevent strike being called this Friday as {administration}'s economic nightmare inches closer:

Industrial action would send inflation soaring, disrupt food supplies and cost nation $2b a day

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced on Wednesday that its 4,900 members voted to reject a deal its leaders reached with freight railroad companies

It now joins two other unions, representing engineers and conductors, that are set to go on strike Friday if they do not get more quality-of-life provisions in their contracts

A strike would effectively shut down the country’s freight train industry

Doing so would cost the country an estimated $2 billion a day and send inflation soaring

The ***** administration is now scrambling to get the unions to accept a deal

…

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11212119/Rail-union…

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The ***** administration is now scrambling to get the unions to accept a deal

Why isn’t the administration scrambling to get CEOs to sweeten the deal.
Never mind, I forgot, corporate $$$$ for political campaigns.

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It now joins two other unions, representing engineers and conductors, that are set to go on strike Friday if they do not get more quality-of-life provisions in their contracts

The news last night reported one of the things the engineers and conductors are grousing about is being required to be “on call” 7 days/week. Apparently, an engineer can’t make any plans for family time, because he has to stay welded to his phone, to bail the “JC” out of a jam.

Freight Conductor

Work hours may include a nonstandard workweek, overtime, and various shift work, including on-call 7 days a week, 24 hours per day, with extended periods of time away from home and short rest between assignments in accordance with the hours of service regulation

https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/working-at-csx/job-overviews/t…

Steve

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Apparently, an engineer can’t make any plans for family time, because he has to stay welded to his phone, to bail the “JC” out of a jam.

Seems to me it’s time for the JCs to actually live up to their monikers and, y’know, create some jobs?

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Why isn’t the administration scrambling to get CEOs to sweeten the deal.
Never mind, I forgot, corporate $$$$ for political campaigns.

iirc, the POTUS has the power to order workers back to work for a “cooling off period”.

Congress prepares to act on rail strike amid fears of ‘economic catastrophe’

(some folks) introduced a resolution to impose a new contract if negotiations between railroads and unions collapse, while (other folks) say they would pass legislation to block a rail shutdown if necessary.

The cooling-off period expires 30 days after the White House-appointed Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) released contract recommendations that call for 24 percent raises, back pay and cash bonuses.

The two largest railroad unions say their members won’t vote for a contract based on those guidelines, which don’t address concerns about strict attendance policies. Railroads haven’t budged from their push to ratify the PEB proposal, arguing that it’s a fair compromise.

Congress last voted to end a railroad strike 30 years ago. If they cannot agree on contract terms, lawmakers could simply extend the cooling off period to prevent a walkout.

But the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART Transportation Division…demanding that the contract allows workers to take unpaid time off for routine medical appointments or family emergencies without being penalized under railroads’ attendance policies. Workers have complained for years that they struggle to secure time off and are subject to unpredictable schedules.

https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/3641261-congress-pre…

I’m pretty sure Mr Market expects the government to keep the trains moving by dictate.

You know what happens when you force an unhappy worker to work? You get strict adherence to the letter of the rules, rather than a focus on getting anything done, and the pace slows to a crawl. Think we have had “supply chain” snags until now? Just wait. I’m sure Mr Market would respond to the realization that workers can fight back with shock and horror.

Steve

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