Although I support this I can’t help but wonder… why didn’t you do this during the rail strike? Hypocritical much? Such a slap in the face to those workers.
The rail strike would have had major economy-wide side effects, including people in other industries being laid off and inflation being exacerbated by shortages in basic food, water, gas.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/looming-rail-strike-would-take-a-major-toll-on-u-s-economy
After averting the strike, the Biden administration continued to pressure and negotiate with rail companies to get the paid sick days that were the sticking point. But there’s been almost no news coverage about that fact.
"Negotiations with the other labor coalition unions continued toward a Sept. 15 deadline, but when it became obvious that the bargaining parties would not reach consensus by then, Biden asked then-Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to assemble the sides and reach an acceptable agreement that would head off a national freight rail strike.
On deadline day, the parties reached an agreement on an updated contract that included the biggest wage increases in 47 years. Over the next several weeks, while acknowledging that the agreement was less than perfect, the IBEW and several of its fellow coalition unions voted to ratify the agreement. A handful of others, however, did not, instead threatening a December freight rail strike.
Biden, citing the potential economic impact of a national freight rail strike during the winter holidays, on Nov. 28 called on Congress to impose the emergency board’s agreement.
Since then, several other railroad-related unions have also seen success in negotiating for similar sick-day benefits. These 12 unions represent more than 105,000 railroad workers. (emphasis mine)
“Biden deserves a lot of the credit for achieving this goal for us,” Russo said. “He and his team continued to work behind the scenes to get all of rail labor a fair agreement for paid sick leave.”
https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid
A much, much larger question is this: If that rail infrastructure is THIS critical to the basic functioning of our economy, why are we allowing it to be held hostage by private for-profit corporations? This shit should be nationalized and those should be government jobs.
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been badmouthing Biden ever since he blocked the railroad strike, but that quote from a union leader — “Biden deserves a lot of the credit for achieving this goal for us. He and his team continued to work behind the scenes to get all of rail labor a fair agreement for paid sick leave" — finally cools my steam.
When he shows up and carries a UAW picket, I am ready to be honestly impressed.
Eh. The union had far more demands than sick days. They wanted 15 I think?
Congress tried to give them a week and failed. Biden got them 5.
There were also other major demands like the end of Precision Scheduled Railroading that never got met.
The rail strike would have had major economy-wide side effects, including people in other industries being laid off and inflation being exacerbated by shortages in basic food, water, gas.
so essentially since these workers aren’t as important, they’re allowed to play around a little bit with a strike?
What on earth are you talking about? I literally just said these workers are SO important that I think they should be nationalized.
A strike is not a good thing. The purpose of unionizing is NOT to strike. Getting demands is the goal and they got that through back channels without a strike. The union itself reports this as a victory.
I’m literally unionizing at my job right now and I keep having to explain to this to my colleagues who are terrified they’ll have to endure a long strike without pay if we unionize. A strike is a last resort desperation move. It. Is. Not. The. Goal. Collective bargaining negotiations is the goal. That was accomplished without a strike.
If the economy can’t function without giving workers time off then what’s the point of the economy?
The optimist in me wants to believe that he realized that was a mistake and now has an opportunity to do the right thing this time.
Biden has shown that he is willing to change his opinions and actions when he makes a mistake. He voted for Defense of Marriage Act back in the 90’s, but IIRC after he became friends with an aid who happened to be trans (yeah, trans ≠ gay, but I guess they’re close enough in some people’s eyes) his opinions on LGBT people changed and he now strongly supports gay marriage. Point being, he could have changed his mind about striking workers too.
Hey, “strongly supporting gay marriage” is below the bare minimum. Same sex marriage has 71% support. Being any politician who doesn’t support same sex marriage is tactical suicide. Even Trump supports same sex marriage (7 years ago!) because it’d be stupid not to. Let me know when he actually takes a stand.
That’s what a lot of people don’t like to acknowledge, that individuals can learn and change. That they aren’t always who they were.
