US railroad workers prepare for strike as rail companies see record profits

[f8ta1ity54]

I have a friend who works in a railroad union. I hope these guys get what they deserve.

US railroad workers prepare for strike as rail companies see record profits | Rail industry | The Guardian

 

US freight railroad workers are close to striking over claims that grueling schedules and poor working conditions have been driving employees out of the industry over the past several years.

Heated negotiations over a new union contract between railroad corporations and 150,000-member-strong labor unions have been ongoing for nearly three years. A “cooling off” period imposed by the Biden administration after it issued recommendations to settle the dispute ends on Friday. If no deal is reached, unions are threatening industrial action – the first since 1992 – and workers say they will quit an industry already facing staff shortages.

The consequences of a strike would be severe. Rail moves close to 40% of the US’s long-distance trade and a strike could cost the US economy $2bn a day, according to a recently issued Association of American Railroads report, disrupting travel, commutes and the shipment of commodities and other goods across the country.

 

But workers argue the industry is in crisis. Between November 2018 and December 2020, the railroad industry lost 40,000 jobs in the US, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The US railroad industry’s workforce dropped from more than 1 million workers in the 1950s to fewer than 150,000 in 2022.

The cost-cutting has contributed to big windfalls at BNSF and Union Pacific, the two largest railroad corporations in North America, which reported record profits in 2021. BNSF is owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate. US railroads have paid out $196bn in stock buybacks and dividends to shareholders since 2010.

“The job is just really becoming fewer people doing more work faster,” said Ross Grooters, a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific in Iowa and co-chair of Railroad Workers United. “We’ve seen in this country all workers getting more and more squeezed.”

“These railroads are making billions of dollars. In the past, we’ve been well compensated for being on call 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s been eroded over the course of my career in the last two decades to where it’s just not appealing enough to attract people into the workplace,” said Grooters.

 

Labor cuts, lack of paid days off, precision scheduling systems to reduce headcounts, disciplinary attendance policies that issue points against workers for any time taken off and unfair and punishing on-call schedules have made it more difficult to continue working in the railroad industry, said Grooters, and workers claim these issues aren’t being addressed in proposed new union contract agreements.

“When I first was hired out on the railroad my paychecks seemed to stretch a lot further than it does today. I don’t think that’s a unique experience for railroad workers. We really need to stop that trend. And hopefully, we railroad workers can help fight back against profiteering from the richest people in this country,” said Grooters.

With talks stalling, the Biden administration convened a presidential emergency board (PEB) earlier this year that issued recommendations for a settlement on 16 August.

Ten of the 12 labor unions currently negotiating new contracts have reached tentative agreements for workers to vote on, but the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (Smart), which represent half of railroad union workers, have said workers will strike if attendance and scheduling issues aren’t resolved.

Workers still have to vote on the tentative agreements reached so far, and some have expressed criticisms that the recommendations don’t adequately address staffing and scheduling issues.

“The PEB punted on just about every single issue, and left people feeling kind of betrayed and kind of vacant, because of the discontent on the railroad right now,” said Ron Kaminkow, general secretary of Railroad Workers United who currently works as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, and serves as vice-president of BLET Local 51.

Kaminkow said many railroad workers don’t have any paid time off at all, with the PEB recommending just one added day of paid time off. Workers are currently on call consistently throughout the year, making a life-work balance near impossible and contributing to fatigue issues, illnesses, job safety and discontent among the workforce.

“It’s our speculation that if this contract is approved and the PEB recommendations form the basis for a tentative agreement, and this is what we end up with, you will probably see thousands of workers in train engine service who will wait to get the best paid lump sum settlement and then they’ll quit. So it doesn’t solve any of the problems that the industry is facing,” Kaminkow added. “I’ve worked in the industry 26 years, and it’s – I never thought I’d see it like this.”

 

BLET members voted 99.5% in favor of authorizing a strike in July 2022, representing around 23,000 workers under the new contract negotiations.

BLET and Smart issued a joint statement on 11 September criticizing railroad corporations for warning shippers of embargoes on certain shipments ahead of the end of the federally mandated cooling off period, claiming the railroad industry is using supply chain and economic concerns to try to impose a bad contract on the unions that doesn’t address the attendance and scheduling concerns of workers.

A survey conducted by Railroad Workers United on the PEB recommendations received responses from 3,162 railroad workers, with over 90% of respondents saying they would vote against tentative agreements based on the recommendations and would approve of a strike after the federally mandated cooling off period.

Railroad workers have emphasized their grueling schedules, a disciplinary attendance system and lack of paid days off, and workers constantly having to be on call to report to work within two hours or less as major points of criticism of the PEB recommendations that failed to address these issues.

Under the Railway Labor Act, railroad corporations and labor unions have to adhere to federally mandated cooling off periods to try to resolve labor disputes. Once the cooling off period ends, on 16 September, a variety of scenarios could result, either through strikes or lockouts of workers by railroad corporations – or Congress could act to impose its own settlement or extend the cooling off period to continue negotiations and avoid any disruptions to interstate commerce.

“If Congress imposes the results of the PEB, or imposes a bad contract down our throat without addressing the attendance policy, or quality of life issues, or our taxable meal issues, without addressing any of that, then people are just going to leave. They already are, but people are just going to continue leaving the industry,” said Michael Paul Lindsey, a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific in Idaho for 17 years.

“They can try to force us out of a strike, but they can’t force us to not quit, and that could result in an even bigger effect on the economy. Congress needs to think long and hard before they force it within the strike, because if they do, it will have a much bigger strike as people resign and leave the industry,” he said.

 

 

 

 

[deleted]

34 minutes ago, f8ta1ity54 said:

I have a friend who works in a railroad union. I hope these guys get what they deserve.

US railroad workers prepare for strike as rail companies see record profits | Rail industry | The Guardian

 

US freight railroad workers are close to striking over claims that grueling schedules and poor working conditions have been driving employees out of the industry over the past several years.

Heated negotiations over a new union contract between railroad corporations and 150,000-member-strong labor unions have been ongoing for nearly three years. A “cooling off” period imposed by the Biden administration after it issued recommendations to settle the dispute ends on Friday. If no deal is reached, unions are threatening industrial action – the first since 1992 – and workers say they will quit an industry already facing staff shortages.

The consequences of a strike would be severe. Rail moves close to 40% of the US’s long-distance trade and a strike could cost the US economy $2bn a day, according to a recently issued Association of American Railroads report, disrupting travel, commutes and the shipment of commodities and other goods across the country.

 

But workers argue the industry is in crisis. Between November 2018 and December 2020, the railroad industry lost 40,000 jobs in the US, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The US railroad industry’s workforce dropped from more than 1 million workers in the 1950s to fewer than 150,000 in 2022.

The cost-cutting has contributed to big windfalls at BNSF and Union Pacific, the two largest railroad corporations in North America, which reported record profits in 2021. BNSF is owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate. US railroads have paid out $196bn in stock buybacks and dividends to shareholders since 2010.

“The job is just really becoming fewer people doing more work faster,” said Ross Grooters, a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific in Iowa and co-chair of Railroad Workers United. “We’ve seen in this country all workers getting more and more squeezed.”

“These railroads are making billions of dollars. In the past, we’ve been well compensated for being on call 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s been eroded over the course of my career in the last two decades to where it’s just not appealing enough to attract people into the workplace,” said Grooters.

 

Labor cuts, lack of paid days off, precision scheduling systems to reduce headcounts, disciplinary attendance policies that issue points against workers for any time taken off and unfair and punishing on-call schedules have made it more difficult to continue working in the railroad industry, said Grooters, and workers claim these issues aren’t being addressed in proposed new union contract agreements.

“When I first was hired out on the railroad my paychecks seemed to stretch a lot further than it does today. I don’t think that’s a unique experience for railroad workers. We really need to stop that trend. And hopefully, we railroad workers can help fight back against profiteering from the richest people in this country,” said Grooters.

With talks stalling, the Biden administration convened a presidential emergency board (PEB) earlier this year that issued recommendations for a settlement on 16 August.

Ten of the 12 labor unions currently negotiating new contracts have reached tentative agreements for workers to vote on, but the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (Smart), which represent half of railroad union workers, have said workers will strike if attendance and scheduling issues aren’t resolved.

Workers still have to vote on the tentative agreements reached so far, and some have expressed criticisms that the recommendations don’t adequately address staffing and scheduling issues.

“The PEB punted on just about every single issue, and left people feeling kind of betrayed and kind of vacant, because of the discontent on the railroad right now,” said Ron Kaminkow, general secretary of Railroad Workers United who currently works as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, and serves as vice-president of BLET Local 51.

Kaminkow said many railroad workers don’t have any paid time off at all, with the PEB recommending just one added day of paid time off. Workers are currently on call consistently throughout the year, making a life-work balance near impossible and contributing to fatigue issues, illnesses, job safety and discontent among the workforce.

“It’s our speculation that if this contract is approved and the PEB recommendations form the basis for a tentative agreement, and this is what we end up with, you will probably see thousands of workers in train engine service who will wait to get the best paid lump sum settlement and then they’ll quit. So it doesn’t solve any of the problems that the industry is facing,” Kaminkow added. “I’ve worked in the industry 26 years, and it’s – I never thought I’d see it like this.”

 

BLET members voted 99.5% in favor of authorizing a strike in July 2022, representing around 23,000 workers under the new contract negotiations.

BLET and Smart issued a joint statement on 11 September criticizing railroad corporations for warning shippers of embargoes on certain shipments ahead of the end of the federally mandated cooling off period, claiming the railroad industry is using supply chain and economic concerns to try to impose a bad contract on the unions that doesn’t address the attendance and scheduling concerns of workers.

A survey conducted by Railroad Workers United on the PEB recommendations received responses from 3,162 railroad workers, with over 90% of respondents saying they would vote against tentative agreements based on the recommendations and would approve of a strike after the federally mandated cooling off period.

Railroad workers have emphasized their grueling schedules, a disciplinary attendance system and lack of paid days off, and workers constantly having to be on call to report to work within two hours or less as major points of criticism of the PEB recommendations that failed to address these issues.

Under the Railway Labor Act, railroad corporations and labor unions have to adhere to federally mandated cooling off periods to try to resolve labor disputes. Once the cooling off period ends, on 16 September, a variety of scenarios could result, either through strikes or lockouts of workers by railroad corporations – or Congress could act to impose its own settlement or extend the cooling off period to continue negotiations and avoid any disruptions to interstate commerce.

“If Congress imposes the results of the PEB, or imposes a bad contract down our throat without addressing the attendance policy, or quality of life issues, or our taxable meal issues, without addressing any of that, then people are just going to leave. They already are, but people are just going to continue leaving the industry,” said Michael Paul Lindsey, a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific in Idaho for 17 years.

“They can try to force us out of a strike, but they can’t force us to not quit, and that could result in an even bigger effect on the economy. Congress needs to think long and hard before they force it within the strike, because if they do, it will have a much bigger strike as people resign and leave the industry,” he said.

 

 

 

 

The sad thing is that our current Leftist/ Communist/ Fascist Authoritarian Regime has left the economy in such a state, that any rail work stoppage will be especially devastating.  It's the price of socialism; I've seen this in many countries I have visited.   So sad and unnecessary. 

[deleted]

39 minutes ago, f8ta1ity54 said:

I have a friend who works in a railroad union. I hope these guys get what they deserve.

US railroad workers prepare for strike as rail companies see record profits | Rail industry | The Guardian

 

US freight railroad workers are close to striking over claims that grueling schedules and poor working conditions have been driving employees out of the industry over the past several years.

Heated negotiations over a new union contract between railroad corporations and 150,000-member-strong labor unions have been ongoing for nearly three years. A “cooling off” period imposed by the Biden administration after it issued recommendations to settle the dispute ends on Friday. If no deal is reached, unions are threatening industrial action – the first since 1992 – and workers say they will quit an industry already facing staff shortages.

The consequences of a strike would be severe. Rail moves close to 40% of the US’s long-distance trade and a strike could cost the US economy $2bn a day, according to a recently issued Association of American Railroads report, disrupting travel, commutes and the shipment of commodities and other goods across the country.

 

But workers argue the industry is in crisis. Between November 2018 and December 2020, the railroad industry lost 40,000 jobs in the US, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The US railroad industry’s workforce dropped from more than 1 million workers in the 1950s to fewer than 150,000 in 2022.

The cost-cutting has contributed to big windfalls at BNSF and Union Pacific, the two largest railroad corporations in North America, which reported record profits in 2021. BNSF is owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate. US railroads have paid out $196bn in stock buybacks and dividends to shareholders since 2010.

“The job is just really becoming fewer people doing more work faster,” said Ross Grooters, a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific in Iowa and co-chair of Railroad Workers United. “We’ve seen in this country all workers getting more and more squeezed.”

“These railroads are making billions of dollars. In the past, we’ve been well compensated for being on call 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s been eroded over the course of my career in the last two decades to where it’s just not appealing enough to attract people into the workplace,” said Grooters.

 

Labor cuts, lack of paid days off, precision scheduling systems to reduce headcounts, disciplinary attendance policies that issue points against workers for any time taken off and unfair and punishing on-call schedules have made it more difficult to continue working in the railroad industry, said Grooters, and workers claim these issues aren’t being addressed in proposed new union contract agreements.

“When I first was hired out on the railroad my paychecks seemed to stretch a lot further than it does today. I don’t think that’s a unique experience for railroad workers. We really need to stop that trend. And hopefully, we railroad workers can help fight back against profiteering from the richest people in this country,” said Grooters.

With talks stalling, the Biden administration convened a presidential emergency board (PEB) earlier this year that issued recommendations for a settlement on 16 August.

Ten of the 12 labor unions currently negotiating new contracts have reached tentative agreements for workers to vote on, but the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (Smart), which represent half of railroad union workers, have said workers will strike if attendance and scheduling issues aren’t resolved.

Workers still have to vote on the tentative agreements reached so far, and some have expressed criticisms that the recommendations don’t adequately address staffing and scheduling issues.

“The PEB punted on just about every single issue, and left people feeling kind of betrayed and kind of vacant, because of the discontent on the railroad right now,” said Ron Kaminkow, general secretary of Railroad Workers United who currently works as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, and serves as vice-president of BLET Local 51.

Kaminkow said many railroad workers don’t have any paid time off at all, with the PEB recommending just one added day of paid time off. Workers are currently on call consistently throughout the year, making a life-work balance near impossible and contributing to fatigue issues, illnesses, job safety and discontent among the workforce.

“It’s our speculation that if this contract is approved and the PEB recommendations form the basis for a tentative agreement, and this is what we end up with, you will probably see thousands of workers in train engine service who will wait to get the best paid lump sum settlement and then they’ll quit. So it doesn’t solve any of the problems that the industry is facing,” Kaminkow added. “I’ve worked in the industry 26 years, and it’s – I never thought I’d see it like this.”

 

BLET members voted 99.5% in favor of authorizing a strike in July 2022, representing around 23,000 workers under the new contract negotiations.

BLET and Smart issued a joint statement on 11 September criticizing railroad corporations for warning shippers of embargoes on certain shipments ahead of the end of the federally mandated cooling off period, claiming the railroad industry is using supply chain and economic concerns to try to impose a bad contract on the unions that doesn’t address the attendance and scheduling concerns of workers.

A survey conducted by Railroad Workers United on the PEB recommendations received responses from 3,162 railroad workers, with over 90% of respondents saying they would vote against tentative agreements based on the recommendations and would approve of a strike after the federally mandated cooling off period.

Railroad workers have emphasized their grueling schedules, a disciplinary attendance system and lack of paid days off, and workers constantly having to be on call to report to work within two hours or less as major points of criticism of the PEB recommendations that failed to address these issues.

Under the Railway Labor Act, railroad corporations and labor unions have to adhere to federally mandated cooling off periods to try to resolve labor disputes. Once the cooling off period ends, on 16 September, a variety of scenarios could result, either through strikes or lockouts of workers by railroad corporations – or Congress could act to impose its own settlement or extend the cooling off period to continue negotiations and avoid any disruptions to interstate commerce.

“If Congress imposes the results of the PEB, or imposes a bad contract down our throat without addressing the attendance policy, or quality of life issues, or our taxable meal issues, without addressing any of that, then people are just going to leave. They already are, but people are just going to continue leaving the industry,” said Michael Paul Lindsey, a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific in Idaho for 17 years.

“They can try to force us out of a strike, but they can’t force us to not quit, and that could result in an even bigger effect on the economy. Congress needs to think long and hard before they force it within the strike, because if they do, it will have a much bigger strike as people resign and leave the industry,” he said.

 

 

 

 

You know, this is exacerbated by the administration policies that are causing inflation.

[f8ta1ity54]

1 minute ago, FanBack said:

You know, this is exacerbated by the administration policies that are causing inflation.

yea, we should just nationalize it.

[f8ta1ity54]

3 minutes ago, FanBack said:

The sad thing is that our current Leftist/ Communist/ Fascist Authoritarian Regime has left the economy in such a state, that any rail work stoppage will be especially devastating.  It's the price of socialism; I've seen this in many countries I have visited.   So sad and unnecessary. 

how is the economy "leftist" if the workers dont own the means of production?

[micknaboz]

24 minutes ago, FanBack said:

The sad thing is that our current Leftist/ Communist/ Fascist Authoritarian Regime has left the economy in such a state, that any rail work stoppage will be especially devastating.  It's the price of socialism; I've seen this in many countries I have visited.   So sad and unnecessary. 

You're a liar and full of sht.

[deleted]

55 minutes ago, micknaboz said:

You're a liar and full of sht.

No, I have traveled the world and seen the devastation.   The despair caused by socialism hurts my heart. 

[deleted]

1 hour ago, f8ta1ity54 said:

how is the economy "leftist" if the workers dont own the means of production?

It is Fascist; we've already covered this Mao Tse Tung.

[HipKat]

It’s not the governments fault that there’s a reduction in the workforce. The railroad is hiring like crazy and they have been for several years. It’s not the money because they pay so much money you can’t even spend it all. Their benefits are probably the best of any union. The problem is finding anybody that wants to actually do the job. Working for the railroad means being on call and having to meet call times which can run anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.

It’s the same in every industry, we have a country full of lazy people that don’t want to get up and go to fucking work every day and if they do, they don’t want to actually be “work”

[Very Wide Right]

UNIONS SUCK and no government workforce should be allowed to unionize. Visit your local post office lately? More lazy, ignorant and rude assholes per square inch than the DMV. Unions for the most part keep the incompetent working and hurt the taxpayer by driving up contract costs unnecessarily. I was buying ammunition recently and saw a box of Remington ammo that proudly labeled the box as "union made". I don't need my ammo made by some person that can't be fired no matter how poorly they work so I picked up the Federal brand ammo instead.

[f8ta1ity54]

26 minutes ago, FanBack said:

It is Fascist; we've already covered this Mao Tse Tung.

Answer again, I don't recall. Or point me to the post in which you answered it.

[HipKat]

1 hour ago, Very Wide Right said:

UNIONS SUCK and no government workforce should be allowed to unionize. Visit your local post office lately? More lazy, ignorant and rude assholes per square inch than the DMV. Unions for the most part keep the incompetent working and hurt the taxpayer by driving up contract costs unnecessarily. I was buying ammunition recently and saw a box of Remington ammo that proudly labeled the box as "union made". I don't need my ammo made by some person that can't be fired no matter how poorly they work so I picked up the Federal brand ammo instead.

Only 10% of workers are union, so you're good but the drop in union representation is directly responsible for stagnant wages, outrageous Health Insurance costs and why so many people need multiple income streams these days

[deleted]

1 hour ago, f8ta1ity54 said:

Answer again, I don't recall. Or point me to the post in which you answered it.

Sigh.  Fascism is a leftist philosophy with a thin veneer of capitalism.   In other words, instead of owning the means of production, they want to control it via excessive regulation.   See, you now know that you are a fascist,  This explains your unwavering allegiance and worship of the Democratic Party, FascistalityDeconstructedSwastika.

 

[deleted]

Just now, FanBack said:

Sigh.  Fascism is a leftist philosophy with a thin veneer of capitalism.   In other words, instead of owning the means of production, they want to control it via excessive regulation.   See, you now know that you are a fascist,  This explains your unwavering allegiance and worship of the Democratic Party, FascistalityDeconstructedSwastika.

 

Just saying 

[deleted]

Just now, FanBack said:

Just saying 

And saying it well. 

[Very Wide Right]

1 hour ago, HipKat said:

Only 10% of workers are union, so you're good but the drop in union representation is directly responsible for stagnant wages, outrageous Health Insurance costs and why so many people need multiple income streams these days

Nonsense, Nationally non-union wages have risen FASTER than union wages by far.Unionized School districts for example are struggling to retain- attract support staff workers due to the fact that retail and fast-food wages have exploded due to a diminished workforce. Most unions don't even represent workers anymore, they take the Dues and run. 

[HipKat]

2 hours ago, Very Wide Right said:

Nonsense, Nationally non-union wages have risen FASTER than union wages by far.Unionized School districts for example are struggling to retain- attract support staff workers due to the fact that retail and fast-food wages have exploded due to a diminished workforce. Most unions don't even represent workers anymore, they take the Dues and run. 

Non union wages rising faster does not put them anywhere near Union wages. lol, you're like a clown lately with your funny statements

[Very Wide Right]

18 minutes ago, HipKat said:

Non union wages rising faster does not put them anywhere near Union wages. lol, you're like a clown lately with your funny statements

Once again, I ask for proof of your claims, You'll start with the name calling now. A union secretary (clerk typist) at my local school district makes $16.42 per hour under her latest contract that expires 2 years from now. Tim Hortons has a sign out advertising $15.50 to start. My good friend owns an insurance agency and pays his non-union secretaries $23 an hour to start because he tells me that that is the current standard. The school system is losing secretaries and is having nothing but trouble filling union jobs in all categories from bus mechanics to cleaners because they cannot compete with the private sector. !0 years ago was a much different situation.

[TonyasTaters]

30 minutes ago, HipKat said:

Non union wages rising faster does not put them anywhere near Union wages. lol, you're like a clown lately with your funny statements

Here is a local reference: Kaleida Health Union contract with pay schedule, benefits for every job. I used it as a point of reference when we encountered some union discussions. https://www.cwa1168.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-Kaleida-Contract-with-Cover-2019-2022.pdf

[micknaboz]

3 hours ago, FanBack said:

Sigh.  Fascism is a leftist philosophy with a thin veneer of capitalism.   In other words, instead of owning the means of production, they want to control it via excessive regulation.   See, you now know that you are a fascist,  This explains your unwavering allegiance and worship of the Democratic Party, FascistalityDeconstructedSwastika.

 

Only the totally ignorant believe Fascism is a leftist philosophy.  Christ man, go back to school, you're just embarrassing yourself and you are so out of your league here sonny.  It's like people on the right never heard of Google and think they can just say anything and no one will check them. I swear all you people on the right here are some of the worst.   If you don't think January 6 was an insurrection there's no use even engaging with you. You probably think the 2020 election was stolen also. You know you and the other righties here, are who Trump was talking about a few years back when he said he could shoot someone to death in broad daylight in Times Square and he could still be acquitted. You idiots are who he was referring to/

[Very Wide Right]

Just now, micknaboz said:

Only the totally ignorant believe Fascism is a leftist philosophy.  Christ man, go back to school, you're just embarrassing yourself and you are so out of your league here sonny.  It's like people on the right never heard of Google and think they can just say anything and no one will check them. I swear all you people on the right here are some of the worst.   If you don't think January 6 was an insurrection there's no use even engaging with you. You probably think the 2020 election was stolen also. You know you and the other righties here, are who Trump was talking about a few years back when he said he could shoot someone to death in broad daylight in Times Square and he could still be acquitted. You idiots are who he was referring to/

Check out a college like Berkley, a leftist school that won't allow anybody who leans right speak without riots, fire, assault and destruction. They embody the very definition of fascism as they forcibly suppress any opposition or belief that differs from their own. You have no clue what the hell you're talking about. The democrat left is the most intolerant force in the country today.

[HipKat]

7 hours ago, Very Wide Right said:

Once again, I ask for proof of your claims, You'll start with the name calling now. A union secretary (clerk typist) at my local school district makes $16.42 per hour under her latest contract that expires 2 years from now. Tim Hortons has a sign out advertising $15.50 to start. My good friend owns an insurance agency and pays his non-union secretaries $23 an hour to start because he tells me that that is the current standard. The school system is losing secretaries and is having nothing but trouble filling union jobs in all categories from bus mechanics to cleaners because they cannot compete with the private sector. !0 years ago was a much different situation.

First off, I'm not calling you names, I said you're making crazy statements and you have been lately. Arguing the differences between Union and Non-union goes FAR beyond just wages.

 

Working Union vs. Working Non-Union

•  In a non-union setting, workers count on their own individual strength; in a union setting, workers count on their own strength plus the collective strength of the group.

•  In a non-union setting, the employer makes all the rules; in a union setting, the rules are negotiated by the union and the employer.

•  In a non-union setting, the employer enforces the rules however he sees fit; in a union setting, workers have a procedure in place to respond to unfair enforcement of rules, even to the point of having an outside, neutral arbitrator decide who’s right.

•  In a non-union setting, the employer decides what employees will be paid and what benefits, if any, they will receive; in a union setting, the employer is required to negotiate with the union on all pay and benefit issues the union brings to the bargaining table.

The difference is wages though is a joke to even debate. When I lived in LA, Non-Union Iron Workers were making $12.75 an hour. Union were making $23.00 an hour plus Benefits.

 

[HipKat]

7 hours ago, micknaboz said:

Only the totally ignorant believe Fascism is a leftist philosophy.  Christ man, go back to school, you're just embarrassing yourself and you are so out of your league here sonny.  It's like people on the right never heard of Google and think they can just say anything and no one will check them. I swear all you people on the right here are some of the worst.   If you don't think January 6 was an insurrection there's no use even engaging with you. You probably think the 2020 election was stolen also. You know you and the other righties here, are who Trump was talking about a few years back when he said he could shoot someone to death in broad daylight in Times Square and he could still be acquitted. You idiots are who he was referring to/

Dude, really, Fanback is nothing BUT a troll. He probably doesn't believe half the shit he posts. His whole schtick is making stupid posts

[HipKat]

Strike averted. White House just announced a deal

[deleted]

8 hours ago, micknaboz said:

Only the totally ignorant believe Fascism is a leftist philosophy.  Christ man, go back to school, you're just embarrassing yourself and you are so out of your league here sonny.  It's like people on the right never heard of Google and think they can just say anything and no one will check them. I swear all you people on the right here are some of the worst.   If you don't think January 6 was an insurrection there's no use even engaging with you. You probably think the 2020 election was stolen also. You know you and the other righties here, are who Trump was talking about a few years back when he said he could shoot someone to death in broad daylight in Times Square and he could still be acquitted. You idiots are who he was referring to/

I explained this.   Leftist Academia in the late 20th Century would not admit that every Despot was a leftist.   

They rewrote the definition of fascism as a bunch of surface traits conflated with Nationalism.  Thst way, Hitler became right wing. IWhat they came up with is not a definition.   Go to a FUCKING LIBRARYand pull some books from pre -1950.