Author Topic: AFL-CIO urges Congress to add paid sick leave to rail contract  (Read 394 times)

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Offline Free Vulcan

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AFL-CIO urges Congress to add paid sick leave to rail contract
« on: November 30, 2022, 04:55:42 pm »


The AFL-CIO on Wednesday called on Congress to add paid sick leave to a contract between rail workers and railroads.

The labor federation’s plea comes as lawmakers prepare to force through a tentative deal to prevent a strike that would cripple the U.S. economy. While some rail workers voted down the contract proposal due to an absence of paid sick days, lawmakers are considering attaching seven days of paid sick leave to the deal.

“While the tentative agreement unions negotiated this year included many critical gains—significant wage increases, caps on health care premiums and prevention of crew reduction—it also fell short by not including provisions on paid sick leave or fair scheduling,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement.

https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/railroads/3756038-afl-cio-urges-congress-to-add-paid-sick-leave-to-rail-contract/

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If the media coverage is to be believed, the sticking point of paid sick days is minor to the overall picture. It isn't a govt handout and is a common benefit most decent sized employers give.

The GOP could make hay here and be the hero while bashing Biden as a country club, robber baron elitist who doesn't care about the little guy, while drowning out the Rat progressives, while also stopping an economy crippling shutdown.

Not a perfect solution, but the give/get ratio is good here. Of course the GOP won't capitalize.
The Republic is lost.

Offline Kamaji

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Re: AFL-CIO urges Congress to add paid sick leave to rail contract
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2022, 05:24:34 pm »


The AFL-CIO on Wednesday called on Congress to add paid sick leave to a contract between rail workers and railroads.

The labor federation’s plea comes as lawmakers prepare to force through a tentative deal to prevent a strike that would cripple the U.S. economy. While some rail workers voted down the contract proposal due to an absence of paid sick days, lawmakers are considering attaching seven days of paid sick leave to the deal.

“While the tentative agreement unions negotiated this year included many critical gains—significant wage increases, caps on health care premiums and prevention of crew reduction—it also fell short by not including provisions on paid sick leave or fair scheduling,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement.

https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/railroads/3756038-afl-cio-urges-congress-to-add-paid-sick-leave-to-rail-contract/

-----------

If the media coverage is to be believed, the sticking point of paid sick days is minor to the overall picture. It isn't a govt handout and is a common benefit most decent sized employers give.

The GOP could make hay here and be the hero while bashing Biden as a country club, robber baron elitist who doesn't care about the little guy, while drowning out the Rat progressives, while also stopping an economy crippling shutdown.

Not a perfect solution, but the give/get ratio is good here. Of course the GOP won't capitalize.


:thumbsup:

Offline Fishrrman

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Re: AFL-CIO urges Congress to add paid sick leave to rail contract
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2022, 11:08:30 pm »
Paid sick days is less of an issue than would be providing train & engine service employees "guaranteed" time off under the federal "hours of service" laws.

On the railroad, you're on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 12 months of the year. And you get few if any "days off" by contract.

As it stands now, I don't believe that freight T&E on the major carriers get ANY "guaranteed relief days" under existing agreements. Or if they do, the time off is almost "not there at all".

For you folks who don't work on the railroad, a "relief day" is what you call your "weekend".

You DO get paid vacation (up to 5 weeks after around 20 years of service or so), but even that may be difficult to get scheduled in a way that is useful to you.

It was only during my last, say, 6-7 years that I was able to schedule vacation time when I wanted it (one had to bid for such weeks on the basis of seniority).

On Amtrak and the commuter/regional rail lines, the employees DO get the opportunity to work "regular" 5-day jobs with 2 relief days. On Amtrak, the engineer's "extra board" was entitled to take 1 day off if they wished.

But in freight... no way. The exceptions are "short lines" and "regional" freight lines, but they aren't the ones that are involved in the current dispute.

I'd like to see a mandatory (as in, "government required") right to "mark off" for a 48-hour period after 6 or 7 days' continuous service.
Would that be too much to ask for?

Offline Kamaji

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Re: AFL-CIO urges Congress to add paid sick leave to rail contract
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2022, 11:10:22 pm »
Paid sick days is less of an issue than would be providing train & engine service employees "guaranteed" time off under the federal "hours of service" laws.

On the railroad, you're on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 12 months of the year. And you get few if any "days off" by contract.

As it stands now, I don't believe that freight T&E on the major carriers get ANY "guaranteed relief days" under existing agreements. Or if they do, the time off is almost "not there at all".

For you folks who don't work on the railroad, a "relief day" is what you call your "weekend".

You DO get paid vacation (up to 5 weeks after around 20 years of service or so), but even that may be difficult to get scheduled in a way that is useful to you.

It was only during my last, say, 6-7 years that I was able to schedule vacation time when I wanted it (one had to bid for such weeks on the basis of seniority).

On Amtrak and the commuter/regional rail lines, the employees DO get the opportunity to work "regular" 5-day jobs with 2 relief days. On Amtrak, the engineer's "extra board" was entitled to take 1 day off if they wished.

But in freight... no way. The exceptions are "short lines" and "regional" freight lines, but they aren't the ones that are involved in the current dispute.

I'd like to see a mandatory (as in, "government required") right to "mark off" for a 48-hour period after 6 or 7 days' continuous service.
Would that be too much to ask for?

Agreed.