Next emergency? Yep... railroad strikes

There's also a nurse strike happening in Minnesota

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/09/12/minnesota-nurses-strike/

 

I don't get the reference, could you please explain this?

 

Eugene Debs, key player in the Pullman strike

 

Thanks for letting me be one of today's lucky 10,000

Pullman Strike - Wikipedia

The Pullman Strike was two interrelated strikes in 1894 that shaped national labor policy in the United States during a period of deep economic depression. First came a strike by the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman factory in Chicago in spring 1894. When it failed the ARU launched a national boycott against all trains that carried Pullman passenger cars.[1] The nationwide railroad boycott that lasted from May 11 to July 20, 1894, was a turning point for US labor law. It pitted the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company, the main railroads, the main labor unions, and the federal government of the United States under President Grover Cleveland. The strike and boycott shut down much of the nation's freight and passenger traffic west of Detroit, Michigan. The conflict began in Chicago, on May 11 when nearly 4,000 factory employees of the Pullman Company began a wildcat strike in response to recent reductions in wages. Most of the factory workers who built Pullman cars lived in the "company town" of Pullman just outside of Chicago. It was designed as a model community by its namesake founder and owner George Pullman.[2]

As the Panic of 1893 shut down much of the economy, railroads stopped purchase of new passenger cars from Pullman. When his company laid off workers and lowered wages, it did not reduce rents, and the workers called for a strike. Among the reasons for the strike were the absence of democracy within the town of Pullman and its politics, the rigid paternalistic control of the workers by the company, excessive water and gas rates, and a refusal by the company to allow workers to buy and own houses.[3] They had not yet formed a union.[2] Founded in 1893 by Eugene V. Debs, the American Railway Union (ARU) was an organization of railroad workers. Debs brought in ARU organizers to Pullman and signed up many of the disgruntled factory workers.[2] When the Pullman Company refused recognition of the ARU or any negotiations, ARU called a strike against the factory, but it showed no sign of success. To win the strike, Debs decided to stop the movement of Pullman cars on railroads. The over-the-rail Pullman employees (such as conductors and porters) did not go on strike.[2]

Debs and the ARU called a massive boycott against all trains that carried a Pullman car. It affected most rail lines west of Detroit and at its peak involved some 250,000 workers in 27 states.[4] The American Federation of Labor (AFL) opposed the boycott because the ARU was trying to take its membership. The high prestige railroad brotherhoods of Conductors and Engineers were opposed to the boycott. The Fireman brotherhood—of which Debs had been a prominent leader—was split.[5] The General Managers' Association of the railroads coordinated the opposition. Thirty people were killed in riots in Chicago alone.[6] Historian David Ray Papke, building on the work of Almont Lindsey published in 1942, estimated another 40 were killed in other states.[7] Property damage exceeded $80 million.[8]

The federal government obtained an injunction against the union, Debs, and other boycott leaders, ordering them to stop interfering with trains that carried mail cars. After the strikers refused, President Grover Cleveland ordered in the Army to stop the strikers from obstructing the trains. Violence broke out in many cities, and the strike collapsed. Defended by a team including Clarence Darrow, Debs was convicted of violating a court order and sentenced to prison; the ARU then dissolved.

 

Given Biden's recent legislative success, I'm optimistic that either the strike will be avoided or it will be very short. There's too much at stake. Neither the union nor management want to be blamed for economic consequences of a strike.

 

I got this email yesterday. It's says feel free to share broadly, so..

Revised…. Feel free to share broadly.

***********************************


Facts as we know them as of 11:00 am CDT 09/13/2022

• A total of 12 unions are in negotiation with U.S. Class I Rail management.
• 8 of 12 union leaders have agreed to terms with rail management
• Another 2 were speculated to agree today but there is no update at this time.
• None of the members have voted to ratify the above agreements
• A Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) has been in place to help work through the negotiations. This Board expires at Midnight on Sept 16, 2022
• Expiration of the PEB also expires the cooling off period where no work stoppage is allowed. This means either a lockout or a strike could occur.
• Rail management is committed not to execute a lock out
• Union Leadership has been vocal about membership’s preparedness to strike.
• BNSF, UP, NS and CSX have all issue embargoes on TIH and PIH chemicals meaning they will not accept those shipments as of today. KCS has not followed suit.

How we are impacted if there is a strike

• First, it’s not a certainty that there will be a strike
• All Class I’s and Union Class II’s will cease to operate in the event of a strike.
• Rail management will attempt to move toxic commodities but the reality of that is very low
• Three of our X (x, x, x) are served by short line non-union railroads that interchange with affected railroads. These three will continue to get service until we run out of cars or run out of track to store.
• X is dually served by KCS (union) and TIBR (non-union).
• X is serviced by MDW and will which interchanges to an affected railroad and has plenty of cars and track

What happens Legislatively

• From a Class I CEO that we spoke to last week, they have legislation written for Congress to review if there is a strike.
• Congress will most likely convene within 8 hours and pass legislation within 24 hours.
• It will take another 24-48 hours to get the system back up and running and another couple of weeks to clear congestion.

What should we do (our recommendations).

• The nation does not have enough trucks to absorb the volume should there be a strike.
• Load as many railcars as feasible this week and leading into next weekend.
• Do not convert to truck anything that isn’t already earmarked for truck delivery

The next few days

• We expect a lot of activity on negotiations over the next few days.
• The national mediation board has been very active.
• Congress cannot legislate proactively but is on high alert.
• We are working with x to help determine priorities for trucking when / if needed.
• We will continue to provide updates

 

I Stand With Vaccinated Ukrainian Railroad Workers

 

Because nothing says, "we care about our patients" like refusing to care for them due to wanting more money or better staffing (which will come from nowhere given the national shortage of RN labor).

 

I haven't heard anything about them wanting more money. It's all about staffing and that directly impacts patient care. They are exhausted and quitting or retiring in droves. They can't adequately provide care if they aren't getting enough rest. The last two and a half years has been a nightmare for them and their families.

 

It's a difficult situation. If they are so miserable that they quit, it makes the situation even worse than striking. At the same time, I'm sure many of them are conflicted about striking when they know that patients need them.

 

Unions don't strike unless "more money" is in the negotiation. They need the higher wages for their members in order to cover union dues increases.

Thousands of nurses strike in Minnesota, affecting more than a dozen hospitals

I just can't help but see irony when a national labor union encourages nurses to literally walk out on patients for extensive pay demands, and have them picket with signs reading "Patients over Profits." I would like to see the hospital systems' profits compared to those of Teamsters or whichever organization owns these union chapters.

 

What does using guilt to attempt to coerce people into bad pay and working conditions say?

 

No attempt to use guilt. I just don't like going on strike for more money under the guise of a "patients over profits" message. It strikes me as disingenuous.

And define "bad pay." I can find no information on what the hospital systems in question have been paying, only that they won't agree to a 30% pay increase spread over three years and are attempting to negotiate. If these hospitals are paying significantly below market average for their nurses, then sure, that's "bad pay." But what if they're already paying at the 75th percentile for their areas?

 

It strikes me as disingenuous to suggest that striking nurses are out to enrich themselves at the expense of patients. Besides, you could say the same thing about management, couldn't you? If they arent compensating their work force properly or making them work more hours to make up for shortfalls, maybe they are the ones who have contempt for the patients so they can continue profitiing right?

 

joe biden and the economy, 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

 

On the contrary, I suspect many individual nurses are probably striking for legitimate gripes or reasons. Many more are probably striking because they have to based on their union charter once that decision is made by their chapter's leadership.

I just think they're being duped by whichever union represents them into thinking that they're actually doing something noble. They're being called on to strike because their elected leaders can't successfully negotiate on their requested employment terms. And they're line of work is taking care of patients.

 

Also, thanks for putting words in my mouth. My gripe is that they walked away from patients under their care because negotiations with their employer weren't going as well as they wanted. I don't care about the reason. It's hard to reconcile to me that they're doing that for noble reasons.

 

just following the lead of the teachers unions earlier this year, sheep.