Are you paying attention to the potential railroad strike? Although I am not in the classroom, I can’t help but think about ways that I would incorporate labor history with current events. The framing of events is so important when creating the narrative. When I think about the Battle of Blair Mountain or the 1877 RailRoad Strike and the role that President Harding and President Hayes had in murdering Americans and enabling corporations to continue their systemic oppression of working people, when I think about the conditions that allowed them to get away with bombing tent cities and using the military to kill workers, my confidence in our federal government’s ability to intervene on behalf of workers plummets, despite President Biden being the “most pro-labor President”. When push comes to shove, will President Biden stand with rank-and-file union members? As of today, we have our answer.
Here’s a bit of background. In June, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (a coalition of 10 rail unions) overwhelmingly approved to authorize a strike. Their employers (mainly Union Pacific and BNSF Railway) are willing to cripple the transportation infrastructure of the United States rather than allow their workers to take the occasional day off to see a doctor or attend to their families. Their freight train workers blame the industry’s on-call, 24/7 scheduling requirements for health problems and divorces. Many of the negotiations have focused on wage increases or better employee benefits but are ignoring the actual problem. Carriers need to change their system which requires employees to be on call 24/7, especially when coupled with constant threats of termination. Of the 12 unions negotiating for better conditions, 8 have ratified the recent proposal. Four railroad unions, representing most of the union members, voted against the proposal. The rail workers have said they are angry and frustrated that the deal lacked paid sick days or other substantial changes to an attendance policy that penalizes workers for taking time off while they are sick - a step the corporations are refusing to consider. Unions represent a wide array of professions, classes, and working conditions. Union Pacific and BNSF are banking on the government to break the strike for them, rather than agree to the demands of their workforce. President Biden calling on Congress to intervene is antithetical to his stated positions on labor. The White House released a statement saying:
“As a proud pro-labor President,” he continued, “I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement.” He wants laws to establish paid leave and stronger protections for workers, he said, “[b]ut at this critical moment for our economy, in the holiday season, we cannot let our strongly held conviction for better outcomes for workers deny workers the benefits of the bargain they reached, and hurl this nation into a devastating rail freight shutdown.” “[I]n this case,” he said, “where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families—I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal.” He asked lawmakers to get a bill to his desk immediately, well before December 9.
My dad always told me to ignore anything that comes before the word ‘but’ because they don’t mean it anyway. It’s pretty good advice and I think it applies here. Workers' rights should never take a backseat because we’re “in the holiday season” or because it would “hurt millions of other working people”. Did he really say other working people? So he’s ranking the importance of human dignity based on who aligned with his opinion? No wonder they waited until after the midterms to take such a position. Politicizing the collective bargaining process and punting the issue to Congress makes this statement by Railway Age seem spot on:
“neither side would have to face criticism from those who oppose the deal, and they would not have to deal with a Republican House as they seek to find a solution” So much of politics has become avoiding criticism and conflict. When did that become norm? Even Speaker Nancy Pelosi denounced the railroads, saying they are “selling out to Wall Street to boost their bottom lines, making obscene profits while demanding more and more from railroad workers”. Yet, she also prioritizes order and the economy over the rights of working people by saying “we must act to prevent a catastrophic nationwide rail strike, which would grind our economy to a halt. Our entire nation would suffer”. Does that make everything ok? We should allow companies to treat people however they want, as long as the trains run on time?
Whether you are fighting for human decency, collective bargaining, human dignity, workers rights, fair labor practices or against government interference, monopolies, or corporate-owned governments, I think this moment is one for uniting people this holiday season. Instead of breaking a strike, President Biden should be calling for us to stand together, arm and arm, to defend the American dream! We can sing hymns and songs on the railroads, link arms, and reignite the torch of liberty. This holiday season, shop local, make a gift, and thank a railroad worker by not selling them out to the soul-crushing cogs of capitalism. We can even get veterans involved, not to break strikes (looking at you President Wilson) but to protest against violence towards fellow citizens. I even have a few slogans we can chant:
All I want for Christmas is fair wages and dignity!
What do we want? To Fight!
Where do we want it? At the bargaining table!
Sources
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/rail-strike-why-freight-workers-are-angry-rcna37190
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/opinion/railroad-strike-labor-unions.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/11/28/rail-strike-biden-congress https://www.railwayage.com/regulatory/strike-averting-legislation-now-under-way
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