Potential Rail Strike & Metra service (+ other commuter railroads)

[Railguy]

With 2 of largest unions not signing. Threat of strike is back.   Place your bets if it happens

[Busjack]

Apparently, the threat ain't over yet (CNN).

[Railguy]

New strike date Dec 9th unions coordinating and saying wont cross lines.    Will it happen?

[Busjack]

According to WGN Noon News, Congress is on the way to  imposing a settlement, with the House passing bills to impose the tentative settlement but adding paid sick time.

[strictures]

19 hours ago, Busjack said:

According to WGN Noon News, Congress is on the way to  imposing a settlement, with the House passing bills to impose the tentative settlement but adding paid sick time.

Congress should mandate seven days of paid sick time, as the rail bosses are making millions in salary & who knows how much Warren Buffet is getting in profits by owning the BNSF!

[Busjack]

7 hours ago, strictures said:

Congress should mandate seven days of paid sick time, as the rail bosses are making millions in salary & who knows how much Warren Buffet is getting in profits by owning the BNSF!

The bill imposing the contract passed the Senate, but the one with the paid sick leave didn't (CNN).

[artthouwill]

50 minutes ago, Busjack said:

The bill imposing the contract passed the Senate, but the one with the paid sick leave didn't (CNN).

Would rail workers dare strike anyway?  Besides the economic repercussions, how would ignoring or denying the law affect the workers?  Unlike the Air Traffic Controllers President Reagan fired, rail workers aren't employed by the Federal Government   

 

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Would rail workers dare strike anyway?  Besides the economic repercussions, how would ignoring or denying the law affect the workers?  Unlike the Air Traffic Controllers President Reagan fired, rail workers aren't employed by the Federal Government   

 

Section 2 of the Railway Labor Act (45 USC 152) says any individual employee may quit.

Congress has the power under the Commerce Clause to resolve the dispute (Congressional Research Service Report  and cases cited therein). The apparent text of the bill (S.J. Res. 61, H. J. Res. 95) says that the imposed settlement "shall be binding on the parties to such disputes and shall have the same effect as though arrived at by agreement of such parties under the Railway Labor Act." Presumably 29 USC 185 would govern, which means that the union could be sued in federal court for breach of the agreement for a money judgment against union assets, and presumably for an injunction, holding the officers in contempt.

[Railguy]

Sucks RR workers have to plan in advance when they will get sick.  Moral will be in dumps and workers will do the bare minimum. Guess this is called progress.

[Busjack]

10 hours ago, Railguy said:

Sucks RR workers have to plan in advance when they will get sick.  Moral will be in dumps and workers will do the bare minimum. Guess this is called progress.

Biden seems to be working both sides of this track. saying that what was negotiated in his office was the best the rail workers ever had and 8 of the unions ratified it, but then that everyone should get sick leave (CNN video).

I don't think anyone polled the membership of the other 4 unions voted no. The sick time issue seems to have been raised by Congress.

[artthouwill]

5 hours ago, Busjack said:

Biden seems to be working both sides of this track. saying that what was negotiated in his office was the best the rail workers ever had and 8 of the unions ratified it, but then that everyone should get sick leave (CNN video).

I don't think anyone polled the membership of the other 4 unions voted no. The sick time issue seems to have been raised by Congress.

If I'm not mistaken.the House passed the bill, then passed something that added the sick leave aspect to the bill.  The Senate passed the bill without the paid sick leave component. 

I think Biden will sign whatever version hits his desk.   Assuming its the version without the paid sick days. BIDEN will take credit for averting a strike and saving the economy but will claim to be working for all workers to get paid sick time

  Labor may not like this, but I think they may stick with Biden should he run for reelection. 

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, artthouwill said:

If I'm not mistaken.the House passed the bill, then passed something that added the sick leave aspect to the bill.  The Senate passed the bill without the paid sick leave component. 

I think Biden will sign whatever version hits his desk.   Assuming its the version without the paid sick days. BIDEN will take credit for averting a strike and saving the economy but will claim to be working for all workers to get paid sick time

  Labor may not like this, but I think they may stick with Biden should he run for reelection. 

Biden signed it (CNN). Take from his comments what you want.

The House apparently passed 2 bills, but the Senate only one. The sentiments in the video I cited above seemed to be that Congress should not legislate what the parties did not negotiate.