Article

2022-11-27 Economy

Railway Strike Seen as Increasingly Inevitable, Threatens to Derail Economy Ahead of Holidays

[Breitbart] A national freight rail strike is viewed as increasingly inevitable as four rail worker labor unions have rejected a tentative agreement with rail companies.

In September, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh brokered a tentative deal between rail unions and rail carriers while President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were out of town. Union concerns centered around sick time and scheduling, and Walsh’s work appeared to have avoided a strike that had the potential for far-reaching consequences on the American economy. However, the deal has fallen to pieces, and the clock is ticking as a December 9 strike looms.

On Monday, members of SMART Transportation Division, the largest rail union involved in September’s negotiations, voted against the agreement, as Bloomberg Law’s Ian Kullgren reported. Three other unions rejected the proposed agreement as well, while seven unions had agreed to the terms.

If the rail companies and unions fail to broker a new deal, Congress could “intervene and impose contract terms on railroad workers,” as it did during the last rail strike in 1992, the Associated Press reported. If neither potential solution materializes, a strike would take effect early next month. In that scenario, American consumers could be plagued with far-reaching economic turmoil, and Congressional intervention would become increasingly likely.

Jared Cassity, the alternate legislative director for SMART Transportation Division, noted that he has tapered expectations regarding the rail companies’ willingness to further negotiate with unions, asserting that the potential for Congress to get involved gives the carriers leverage to withhold concessions, according to Kullgren. Cassity also implied that the strike is looking inevitable.

“I’m not optimistic about the railroads’ willingness to negotiate for more,” Cassity said. “I’m hopeful, but really not that optimistic. And there’s really nothing that obligates them to give more at this point.”

“We’re at the end of the Railway Labor Act, and ultimately the end is a lockout or strike. That’s where we are,” he said.

Echoing Cassity’s sentiments, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen President Dennis Pearce stated that “Congress staying out of it would obviously giving [sic] unions leverage,” as CNN Business noted.

Biden and his fellow pro-union Democrats in Congress face a tough political predicament. A prolonged strike would have negative economic effects on Americans, who are already bearing the brunt of sky-high inflation that has not been seen in decades. If Congress does intervene, the conditions of its legislation could potentially anger the very union workers they claim to champion.

Posted by Skidmark 2022-11-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [13 views ] Top

White House soon to blame inflation, high gas and oil prices, food shortages, Trump high polling numbers, failed economy, and global warming on rail strike.

Biden prepares to sign ~~unique~~ executive order allowing foreign workers to assist with rail crisis, names VP Harris as rail tsar.

Posted by Besoeker 2022-11-27 03:29|| 2022-11-27 03:29|| Front Page Top

#2 Now the blame goes to the railway workers. Sure, and I thought Biden was a union man!

Posted by 49 Pan 2022-11-27 03:35|| 2022-11-27 03:35|| Front Page Top

#3
Given, Railroad Union donations for the LSD's have seriously fallen off since 2016. I think the LSD party will play this for their needs, not the people's.

2022
1 Graves, Sam (R-MO) House $91,546
2 Moran, Jerry (R-KS) Senate $85,548
3 Thune, John (R-SD) Senate $65,050
4 Schmitt, Eric (R-MO) $57,100
5 Blumenauer, Earl (D-OR) House $52,765
6 Adkins, Amanda (R-KS) $47,900
7 Davis, Rodney (R-IL) House $46,300
8 Lee, Mike (R-UT) Senate $43,300
9 Crawford, Rick (R-AR) House $39,846
10 Hoeven, John (R-ND) Senate $38,550

Posted by NN2N1 2022-11-27 07:55|| 2022-11-27 07:55|| Front Page Top

#4 Waltz: ‘Where’s Buttigieg’ on Rail Strike?

Posted by Skidmark 2022-11-27 10:05|| 2022-11-27 10:05|| Front Page Top

#5 Buttigieg will come out and explain how the strike benefits us once it happens. I had low expectations for him and he has underperformed. I was hoping for obscure irrelevance.

Posted by Super Hose 2022-11-27 10:15|| 2022-11-27 10:15|| Front Page Top

#6 The economic narrative is being framed already that the Biden economic recovery, swelling beneath the surface, was killed by the new Republican Congress and their draconian, uncaring cruelty in shutting down the government funding of the recovery.

Given the utter economic ignorance of the MSM and demokrat-base, this will get traction. The disastrous first two years of Puppet Show energy policy and the trillions of wasted spending are already memory-holed for the 20-30 somethings whose memory and attention deficit disorder rival the IQ of most potted plants!

Posted by NoMoreBS 2022-11-27 12:42|| 2022-11-27 12:42|| Front Page Top

#7 Kabuki theater. The agreement was made and was postponed till after the midterms. Now comes the absurd demands followed by "negotiations" and a victory by FJB.

Posted by BrerRabbit 2022-11-27 13:59|| 2022-11-27 13:59|| Front Page Top

#8 10 days to stock up before GA Run Off Election, and 13 before the rail strike if the LSD's lose.

Got your Bunker inventory in order yet? 😇

Posted by NN2N1 2022-11-27 14:49|| 2022-11-27 14:49|| Front Page Top

#9 Not a fan in any sense of the word for unions, but reading through the time off policies of all the Class 1’s, to call those policies sh1t would be doing a disservice to turds the world over. And what i am reading between the lines from the workers’ side, that 24% raise was t their number 1 priority, but the ability to have a dependable schedule and also some pto that didn’t require a lot of planningwas.
I will be surprised if there is no strike.
And if congress ‘helps,’ do not be surprised if there are various unexplained service delays.
Just channeling the human bring is all, no inside info.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2022-11-27 16:42|| 2022-11-27 16:42|| Front Page Top

#10 A 24% raise across 5 years when officially inflation is at least 8% this year. And we all know it is higher. This “increase” is really a guaranteed pay cut. The work rules are the sticking point for the guys on the line - not the money

Posted by Griter Slash1619 2022-11-27 20:00|| 2022-11-27 20:00|| Front Page Top

#11 Unions exist to fund the dems. When they stop reliably doing that, they got problems.

Posted by M. Murcek 2022-11-27 20:04|| 2022-11-27 20:04|| Front Page Top