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Rejected agreement raises threat of rail strike
One of the country’s largest rail worker unions has rejected a temporary agreement brokered last month by President Biden.
The vote by the Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employees means bargaining with freight railroads will resume, raising the possibility of a strike.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa tells Brownfield he’s not sure the President can do anymore, but Congress is ready to step in.
“As we were ready to do at the time that they agreed to move ahead with it, and we didn’t have to vote on it. The last time Congress stepped in was the early 1990’s, and we did and would do it again.”
Union officials say they remain dissatisfied with compensation, working conditions, and sick-leave policies.
This Union agreement is not over money ,it’s about having a life . I worked for 42 yeats for the BNSF Railroad as a Conductor . The Railroad is like farming it’s 24/7 it’s nite week ends and Holidays . The railroad has come up with a Availability Policy that basically lets you take off 1 day a month . Your on a point system you get 30 points your fired for Availability. There’s double points for taking off on weekend tripe on a holiday so they add up . There is No exception for Family emergency— Sickness – surgeries- you add up points towards termination. Thru The SMART Union they negotiated personnel leave days when you needed to be off Now you haveto put them in 30 days ahead time to be concerned hard to plan . Plus they will wait till last minute and turn them down or grant them after your called out thus you lose your day .
They need to set up regular days off and loosen up on the Availability policy or there’s going to be a Strike . These young guys don’t care if you fire them all the RRs can’t replace them now there short men now .I’ve farmed and railroaded both very hard life .