Railroads and Unions Divide and Scramble

[Omaha Steve]

Dozens of deals remain to be negotiated. Some may be settled easily, while others may flare up with threats of strikes or lockouts. To stay up to date, follow our Rail Bargaining Tracker at bit.ly/railbargaining. Photo: MTAPhotos

https://labornotes.org/2024/12/railroads-and-unions-divide-and-scramble

December 13, 2024 / Joe DeManuelle-Hall

As the Trump administration prepares to take power, the nation’s freight railroad companies are at the bargaining table with rail craft unions representing 115,000 freight workers who move essential goods across the country.

Already the bargaining looks very different from the last round of negotiations, which finished in 2022. For the first time since 1963, multiple railroads have gone rogue, breaking with the employer association in which they typically present a united front.

Under the Railway Labor Act, the Trump administration can affect both bargaining and the federal rules under which the railroads operate. Railroad employers may be emboldened at the table since the executive branch can intervene and force a deal, and employers and unions alike recognize that the Trump administration would be likely to favor the employers even more heavily.

CUTTING FRENZY

The railroads are already engaged in a decade-long cost-cutting frenzy as part of their 40-year push for “precision scheduled railroading” (see box below). The companies would jump at the opportunity to have even fewer workers and less exacting standards. At stake for workers: wages, safety, health care costs, and work-life balance in jobs that play havoc with workers and their families.

FULL story at link above.

[elleng]

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