Eastern Railroad Discussion > Engineers Union Prepares for Strike against Class 1's

Prepares is the keyword, they're not going on strike as of right now against the big class 1's in N.America.  

God help the economy...     https://ble-t.org/news/ballots-for-strike-authorization-being-mailed-june-24-to-blet-members-at-class-i-railroads/

They would be ordered back to work before the ink got dry on the declaration.  And they'd work while it went to arbitration.

Molino Wrote:
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> Prepares is the keyword, they're not going on
> strike as of right now against the big class 1's
> in N.America.  
>
> God help the economy...   
>  https://ble-t.org/news/ballots-for-strike-author
> ization-being-mailed-june-24-to-blet-members-at-cl
> ass-i-railroads/

But as I understand it, the powers that be in Washington are saying the the "economy is in a better place than it has been historically".  So that means it all good right??  Please note the sarcasm.

We'll see how "labor friendly" Biden, Congress and Mayor Pete really are to the BLET.  My guess is not very........

Asheville_G Wrote:
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> They would be ordered back to work before the ink
> got dry on the declaration.  And they'd work
> while it went to arbitration.

Arbitration been proffered and rejected....we are in the first 30 day cooling off period....we and the carriers have the option of self help at the end of thirty days....to strike we have to take a vote to authorize it and those ballots are being mailed. Strike or Lock out would be a legal next step....however a Presidential Emergency Board will likely but not certainly be convened, whereupon no strike or lockout can yet occur until the PEB makes it determination and offers it for consideration. Note that so long as we follow the RLA as to when to strike we cannot be ordered back to work, nor can a lockout be ended. Yet if every does what they are supposed to do including the President and congress when and if their turn comes....we don't have to miss any work. 

Exactly, the judge in Texas who denied the strike sort of put his foot in it in that there might be a whole
more sympathy for the cause now with the recent STB actions.

Out 

The Carriers are also having a lot harder time playing the woe is us card in the court of public opinion. Crowing about how many gazzilion bucks you make one day and the next claiming poverty and abuse by the mean old unions ain’t getting the traction it once was.

The emperor has no clothes and JQ Public is starting to giggle at his little noodle.

Posted from iPhone

Drknow Wrote:
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> The Carriers are also having a lot harder time
> playing the woe is us card in the court of public
> opinion. Crowing about how many gazzilion bucks
> you make one day and the next claiming poverty and
> abuse by the mean old unions ain’t getting the
> traction it once was.
>
> The emperor has no clothes and JQ Public is
> starting to giggle at his little noodle.

Thank goodness at least some people on here get it.

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Asheville_G Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They would be ordered back to work before the
> ink
> > got dry on the declaration.  And they'd work
> > while it went to arbitration.
>
> Arbitration been proffered and rejected....we are
> in the first 30 day cooling off period....we and
> the carriers have the option of self help at the
> end of thirty days....to strike we have to take a
> vote to authorize it and those ballots are being
> mailed. Strike or Lock out would be a legal next
> step....however a Presidential Emergency Board
> will likely but not certainly be convened,
> whereupon no strike or lockout can yet occur until
> the PEB makes it determination and offers it for
> consideration. Note that so long as we follow the
> RLA as to when to strike we cannot be ordered back
> to work, nor can a lockout be ended. Yet if every
> does what they are supposed to do including the
> President and congress when and if their turn
> comes....we don't have to miss any work. 

It's not just the BLE&T.  All the unions are headed for a strike.  Each union may have a slightly different time line. It depends on the National Mediation Board releasing each union from mediation.  That begins the first 30 day cooling off period.  The president can, and probably will, appoint a Presidential Emergency Board.  Once appointed, the board has 30 days, unless both sides agree to an extension, to issue it's findings.  The PEB report is not binding.  While the PEB is making it's investigations, the status quo is maintained. 

After the PEB releases it's findings, there is one last 30 day cooling off period.  Then the RLA has run it's course.  Both sides may resort to self help, strike or lock out.  At any time in the process, both sides can come to a mutual agreement.  This is highly unlikely at this time.

At this point, only an act of congress can return both sides to work.  They have quite a latitude in what they do.  They could order both sides back to work and back to the negotiating table.  They could impose all or part of the PEB's recommendations.  They could even rewrite a contract.  The authorization for congress to act comes not from the RLA, but from the commerce clause of the Constitution.

The unions' are forcing the issue now because they are hoping for better treatment from a Democratic White House and near control of congress. With the mid term elections near,, labor could find itself thrown under the bus by Democrats afraid that they'll be portrayed as caving in to labor's demands.  (It's easy to talk the talk when you don't actually have to do anything.  It's harder to walk the talk and be on the record.  Especially in districts that could go to either party.)  Even though that's happened in the past, chances are still better than under a Republican controlled congress. 

It depends on what the PEB recommends.  Just about everyone expects a heavily labor leaning report.  I'm not so sure.  I expect labor will come out ahead on some things, but not everything.  While I agree with the good doctor, it should be plain to everyone that crying poverty after proclaiming how fiancially successful they are is just a ploy,  Not eveyrone will necessarily see it that way.  Some are already biased, one way or the other, and probably won't be swayed.  Many more will listen to lobbyists.  Not necessarily only railroad lobbyists, either.  Rail dependent businesses, and business in general if only as a matter of policy, may line up against giving workers too much, compared to other blue collar jobs.   Even without a raise for a few yeara, even with the time spent away from home (and I don't count off duty in the motel against my earnings), we still get paid better than most   Our benefits, while eroding, are still better than most other workers. That won't be lost on politicians, especially those elitists in both parties that privately think jobs not requiring a degree or two shouldn't be well paying.

While a mutually arrived at agreement is best, it's very,very doubtful that it will happen.  I will probably vote to strike.  We're between a rock and a hard place with no good answers.  All we can do is hope for the best and get through this.  Just to start it all over again for the next contract in a few years.

When does the cooling off period?

Thanks,
Russ

CSX1346 Wrote:
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> When does the cooling off period?
>
> Thanks,
> Russ

This current one for BLET ends July 17th....for other unions it varies depending on when they were released....we were negotiating together to keep little details like this together, but oh well.