Eastern Railroad Discussion > 98% of House GOP votes against paid sick leave for rail workers

Guess the Republicans don't feel railroad workers don't deserve paid sick days. Sad!

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SpringedSwitch Wrote:
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> Guess the Republicans don't feel railroad workers
> don't deserve paid sick days. Sad!

More precisely - House lawmakers voted 290 to 137 with support of many but obviously not all Repubs on legislation that would force the adoption of the PEB which includes the union leadership's negotiated 1 day of paid sick leave. The Repubs voted against the non-PEB Congressional proposal for 7 days of paid sick leave.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/22 12:15 by JPB.

Strange things, 2 members of the GOP from Georgia voted against it. My congressman voted for it. I called the other 2 offices and expressed my thanks.

Sam

SpringedSwitch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guess the Republicans don't feel railroad workers
> don't deserve paid sick days. Sad!

Sounds like they're in agreement with the democratic President.

Face it, neither party is a friend of the American worker. Except the last President who was fraudulently attacked from all sides for trying to disrupt the political gravy train.

You can't say that you agreed with those attacks and simultaneously say you support the American worker. But, yet some do.

Posted from Android

So I have to ask, who pays for these sick days? The carriers or the taxpayers. Sorry I have little sympathy for getting paid sick days, how many years did railroad employees go without this. I know when i worked on the railroad in the 1970s and 1980s there was no paid leave, only paid vacation a week at a time. There should be more emphasis on resolving the issue of being able to actually getting the days off without a penalty. Didn't hear any mention of this in the legislation. I guess it falls back to the old saying "put a claim in". We all know how that ends. And what business is it for congress to decide, maybe I just lack knowledge in how the Railway Labor Act works. Final comment, how many people in congress have actually worked for the railroad on the labor side, running a train, laying track, or fixing rail equipment and signals.
CR

Hey, I think the Republicans are on the wrong side of this, but I think any attempt to single them out is disingenuous. With the lukewarm backing real reform got from the actual employees involved, never mind the President and the Democrats, why should you expect any more support from people that that have been painted as the enemy for generations?

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/119/text

Link to the text of the resolution for paid sick leave.

junctiontower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey, I think the Republicans are on the wrong side
> of this, but I think any attempt to single them
> out is disingenuous. With the lukewarm backing
> real reform got from the actual employees
> involved, never mind the President and the
> Democrats, why should you expect any more support
> from people that that have been painted as the
> enemy for generations?

Good observation.  If 34% of members couldn't be bothered to vote, that suggests a lack of interest in the outcome.  If I was leading this charge, and 34% didn't vote, and about half of the remainder voted to take the deal, I don't see a mandate to storm the barricades.

SpringedSwitch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guess the Republicans don't feel railroad workers
> don't deserve paid sick days. Sad!

And neither did the democratic majority PEB… let’s make sure we discuss and mention all the facts and motions that have lead to this vote. It is disingenuous to pick and chose what we disagree with if going to finger point at just one party to make them the evil one.

Posted from iPhone

We used to have reasonable mark off privileges. now we have none. When I hired out we had a five day bump. 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> junctiontower Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hey, I think the Republicans are on the wrong
> side
> > of this, but I think any attempt to single them
> > out is disingenuous. With the lukewarm backing
> > real reform got from the actual employees
> > involved, never mind the President and the
> > Democrats, why should you expect any more
> support
> > from people that that have been painted as the
> > enemy for generations?
>
> Good observation.  If 34% of members couldn't be
> bothered to vote, that suggests a lack of interest
> in the outcome.  If I was leading this charge,
> and 34% didn't vote, and about half of the
> remainder voted to take the deal, I don't see a
> mandate to storm the barricades.

That's because many of us "rails" do not believe that we will get a better deal if we go out on strike (it certainly hasn't done much for us over the past many decades); and the real fear is that we would get handed something even worse than the "tentative contract agreement" - like the total elimination of all "Crew Consist Agreement" terms, or forced down one man crews.  It all seems like a huge, risky bet - something many were just not willing to take on.  Many hold the blame to our national union leadership for not coming out with a better tentative agreement back in September, when we had the American people, the media, many politicians all at our backs.  Now the media spin is making it sound like we are a bunch of spoiled brats looking for even bigger wages and not having to go to work for them - and we are willing to destroy the economy of the US and everyone's Christmas because of our own greed.  Our union leadership should have demanded that "tentative agreement" back in September to have specific, iron clad language for time off for rail employees from work, not the fluff that it came with saying that labor and management would work toward an agreement later - THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN!  History in this industry shows, if it's not written down in blood, with specific language and elimination of all possible loop holes, the carriers will find a way to torpedo the agreement.  Our union leadership should know better!

I also blame the union leadership for not getting out in front publicly on what we are really after here - to be allowed to have some time off away from work, just like everyone else has!  The whole "sick days" thing was just an example of what happens when one can't take time off from work - but it became the rallying cry of the nation.  The narrative in the media should be that, we too need time away from work to spend with our family, personal time, enjoy life, work at home, and yes, see a doctor or lay off sick when we are sick.  Most people I talk to always ask me "you want some paid sick leave, well that's fair"; but then I have to explain it goes far past that - most have no concept that we are literally tied to our phones 24 - 7 - 366 days a year, having to be ready to be called on a moments notice.

Sad news. In Brazil, all employees have the rights for paid sick leave since 1943. By law, the company must pay for the first 15 days of absence from the employee, ensuring their remuneration. From the 16th day onwards, it must be forwarded by the federal government.

Posted from Android

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Question. In the past few strikes the president issued an excutive order to return to work and the strikes lasted just a day or two. Why not this time?

Posted from iPhone

L231 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Question. In the past few strikes the president issued an excutive
> order to return to work and the strikes lasted just a day or two.
> Why not this time?

The pre-strike shutdown would be too distruptive to an already damaged economy.
An actual rail shutdown would be more devistating.
 

justalurker66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> L231 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Question. In the past few strikes the president
> issued an excutive
> > order to return to work and the strikes lasted
> just a day or two.
> > Why not this time?
>
> The pre-strike shutdown would be too distruptive
> to an already damaged economy.
> An actual rail shutdown would be more
> devistating.
>  

The pre strike maneuvers will begin Dec 5th when ALL hazardous materials will be yarded somewhere and anywhere so they don't get stranded on the mainline in the event of work stoppage....if cram down isn't announced...it doesn't matter whether there will be an actual strike...the mess of preparing for it will be estimable enough. 

WM1977 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So I have to ask, who pays for these sick days?
> The carriers or the taxpayers. Sorry I have little
> sympathy for getting paid sick days, how many
> years did railroad employees go without this. I
> know when i worked on the railroad in the 1970s
> and 1980s there was no paid leave, only paid
> vacation a week at a time. There should be more
> emphasis on resolving the issue of being able to
> actually getting the days off without a penalty.
> Didn't hear any mention of this in the
> legislation. I guess it falls back to the old
> saying "put a claim in". We all know how that
> ends. And what business is it for congress to
> decide, maybe I just lack knowledge in how the
> Railway Labor Act works. Final comment, how many
> people in congress have actually worked for the
> railroad on the labor side, running a train,
> laying track, or fixing rail equipment and
> signals.
> CR "I went through this so everyone else should too." 

What a ridiculous, backward thinking statement. Maybe we should start putting kids back in factories too, because hey, other people went through it!


 

The US is extremely backward in the way it funds and delivers healthcare.  I was just reading this morning about a new building in NYC's Hudson Yards that will have its own emergency room and EMT response team, for residents only. Starting at $5,000 per month for a 400 sf studio apartment in the building.  Up to $25,000 per month for bigger units.

Healthcare should be funded via taxes, and not be a condition of employment. A rail worker should not have to beg for sick days or use vacation time.  In civilized countries, doctors do not graduate med school with $400,000 in debts. The Biden administration took a baby step by capping the price of insulin for Medicare recipients at $35 per month, but there's lots more to  do.

[In France, doctors receive their education from the state, mostly free.  They are assigned to clinics and hospitals for a few years, then they can either start their own practice, or continue as state employees.  With pay similar to judges.  When I had a minor medical issue during a visit, I went to a clinic, was treated, and released.  How much?  De Rien (nothing, of no importance), and waved me off. That would have been a grand in an urgent care clinic


/rant

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The US is extremely backward in the way it funds
> and delivers healthcare.  I was just reading this
> morning about a new building in NYC's Hudson Yards
> that will have its own emergency room and EMT
> response team, for residents only. Starting at
> $5,000 per month for a 400 sf studio apartment in
> the building.  Up to $25,000 per month for bigger
> units.
>
> Healthcare should be funded via taxes, and not be
> a condition of employment. A rail worker should
> not have to beg for sick days or use vacation
> time.  In civilized countries, doctors do not
> graduate med school with $400,000 in debts. The
> Biden administration took a baby step by capping
> the price of insulin for Medicare recipients at
> $35 per month, but there's lots more to  do.
>
> [In France, doctors receive their education from
> the state, mostly free.  They are assigned to
> clinics and hospitals for a few years, then they
> can either start their own practice, or continue
> as state employees.  With pay similar to
> judges.  When I had a minor medical issue during
> a visit, I went to a clinic, was treated, and
> released.  How much?  De Rien (nothing, of no
> importance), and waved me off. That would have
> been a grand in an urgent care clinic
>
>
> /rant

you could always send the governent of the country that treated you "a grand" for your treatment..............

66

The Senate Republicans killed it 53-47; needed 60 to pass.  Here comes the next wave of "take your job and shove it".

You want to force the RR's to change, to listen to you, to offer better working conditions?  THEN STOP WORKING FOR THEM.

That's happening right now in the trucking business, as drivers quit and few new drivers sign on, and suddenly all the management types are falling over themselves to offer better pay, health care, vacation and paid time off.  

Amazing, isn't it?  You have to be a bastard to make the bastards listen, and change.