BNSF on Strike
gesshots
Member Posts: 15,678 ✭✭✭✭
BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad network in North America. One of nine North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 41,000 employees, 32,500 miles of track in 28 states, and more than 8,000
Published: January 13, 2022
CLEVELAND, Ohio, (January 13, 2022) — Yesterday, members of the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation union (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) who work for the BNSF Railway initiated steps to go on strike following the railroad’s announcement of its so-called “Hi-Viz” attendance policy, which SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson and BLET National President Dennis Pierce called “the worst and most egregious attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier.”
Comments
Company:
People are asked to prove they are at work during the time they are paid to be there.
UNION:
This is an egregious breech of contract.
I’m sure glad I’m retired now, it was getting hard to lay off just before I retired 12 years ago. I loved the old days on the railroad, would just call the crew caller and mark off a trip. That’s what the extra list was for to cover layoffs and extra trains they would order.
Clearly we clicked the same link, but must have read two different articles.
Oh great, the combination of unreasonable management and unbending unions will certainly worsen the supply shortages. Better go out tomorrow and buy that case or two of T-paper because I see more empty shelves on the horizon. Because of your inclusion of the Choo-Choo Charlie picture I think I better get 5 or 10 pounds of Good and Plenty candy before the stores run out of that too. Bob
In the 42 years I worked on the railroad I remember only 3 strikes where they set up picket lines, and within 8 to 24 hour hours a federal judge would serve papers on the head of the union that was on strike, and order the workers back to work. I always looked at it this way. The railroad paid me to give me the shaft, where I paid the union to give me the shaft. I won’t go into it, but unions are out for the union and not the workers. The order of business is, union first, politics second and employees if doesn’t interfere with the first two.
The idea behind unions is probably a good thing. What they have become is not.
I will agree that it was a good idea at the time, but they have lost their perspective long ago. If you take time and read the history of the AFL/CIO. you see that they embrace socialism. As for my self I had no choice but to belong to the union if I wanted to railroad, I don’t live in a right to work state, Illinois. Not a right to work state in it self can explains how this state is run. But I did enjoy my job though.
That should speed up the deliveries of goods. Insert green font
The truckers should get caught up
I read somewhere that the rank and file have voted to strike and that uncle Warren has asked a federal court to intervene on his behalf. I believe that ruling will come today. I could be wrong, but I dont think our dimented dictator, friend to labor that he is, will allow the unions to drive his ratings even deeper into the sewer.
Unions were a good thing on the beginning but are now only lining their own pockets without regard for the members.
I have no use for them.
I suspected as much.
I also suspect those who support this ruling would scream bloody murder if their own employer were to implement a similar attendance policy. This will bite uncle Warren in the butt because his crews will be forced to come to work sick. They'll spread omicron like wildfire amongst themselves.
I knew a guy who worked for BNSF and have heard some of the 'stuff' the track workers did to pad their paychecks. It was pretty disgusting to listen as the stories of wasted time and manipulation of work schedules to get extra pay for doing nothing were told.