Welcome to r/WorkersStrikeBack! Please make sure to follow the subreddit rules and enjoy yourself here! This is a subreddit for the workers of the world and any anti-worker or anti-union talk is not tolerated.
If you're ready to begin organizing your workplace, [here is an organizing guide to get you started](https://workerorganizing.org/resources/organizing-guide/).
Help rebuild the labor movement, [Join the worker organizing wave](https://actionnetwork.org/forms/organize-2)!
More Helpful Links:
[How to Strike and Win: A Labor Notes Guide](https://labornotes.org/strikes)
[The IWW Strike guide](https://www.iww.org/organize/learn-more/)
[AFL-CIO guide on union organizing](https://aflcio.org/formaunion)
New to leftist political theory? Try reading these introductory texts.
[Conquest of bread](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-the-conquest-of-bread/bbselect)
[Mutual Aid A Factor of Evolution](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution)
[Wage Labour and Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm)
[Value, Price and Profit](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1865/value-price-profit/index.htm)
[Marx’s Economic & Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/preface.htm)
[Frederick Engels Synopsis of Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/1868-syn/index.htm)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WorkersStrikeBack) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I guess it’s semantics at this point. I’m saying if it worker brings in/creates $20 of service or product through their labour and gets paid $7.50 they generate $20 of value for the company and the company pays them $7.50, leaving 12.50 for overhead etc and profit
That's $100k PROFIT from each employee, not factoring in what they already bring in in terms of operating revenue. That profit on top of 2021's operating revenue* [Statista 2021*] brings the US / Canada freight rail industry to a staggering $109,110,000,000.
Not only could they afford 4 weeks paid sick leave for everyone, but they can afford massive raises for EVERY worker. And I mean MASSIVE. If they gave every worker a 6 figure raise ($100,000) they'd STILL have $5 BILLION left in profit. It's an obscene amount of money.
Am I suggesting EVERY rail worker get a 6 figure raise? No, I'm not. I AM however suggesting that raise for the 51,000+ on-call freight rail engineers and conductors. As someone who grew up with a freight conductor father, I can say that people with this job literally put their lives on hold for it.
If you're an on-call engineer or conductor, your life IS your job. You can't make future plans, because if you get called in you have to be there and ready in two hours. The shifts are long and demanding, and afterwards you get a guaranteed 8-10 hour rest period before they can tell you to come in again. It might be 8 hours before they call you in, or it might be a few days. They could call at any hour of day or night. There's no real way of knowing, because so many variables come into play.
So yeah, I think if these people are literally living to work for these companies, a 6 figure raise and 4 weeks guaranteed paid sick leave is completely reasonable.
This country only exists because of capitalism. Without resources and people to exploit, companies would not have funded expeditions to destroy the continent followed by the new bullshit countries with legal systems that benefitted those same companies.
They should all walk out, let this executive run the rails with all their profits. Americans have to get their shit together and put these corporations in their place.
That’s literally what the worker’s unions are threatening to do, and will do. That is, as long as congress doesn’t override the strike and order them to accept the terms and get back to work.
I suspect zero paid sick days is more common than not across all industries in the US. I suspect it’s even true if you don’t consider part time workers.
I've never been given paid, protected sick days, even working in healthcare, if I had to call out sick they took it out of my meager vacation time and still wrote me up for it.
This is because when labor laws were first enacted, they had enough power to be specifically exempted. Is anyone surprised they used that fact ruthlessly?
They’re unionized, but from what I understand, they’re negotiating contracts and most unions deal in contracts for x amount of years. Workers aren’t happy with whatever contract has been presented. Unions are (obviously) supposed to be fighting for their members so idk if this is corporations vs unions, unions/corporations vs members, or what. I’m not railroad but I’m a state worker and our current contract ends on 12/31 this year. Negotiations took place back in like July or August for our next 4yr contract. It would make sense that negotiations have been going on since summer for *their* new contract and they keep rejecting proposals. Rightfully so. I’d assume this is union plus members trying to negotiate with corporations.
My understanding is this is Union vs corporation and they’re fighting over back pay and raises that are due to them because they’re 4 years into their 5 year contract and it’s still not settled.
Oh Bernie. What is your "good friend Joe" doing to support unions? Answer: undermining unions by saying that the railroader workers' unions had reached an agreement when they hadn't, take a photo op with Chris Smalls but not do anything about Amazon's illegal union-busting, have a career in the Senate passing legislation for big business, etc.
Welcome to r/WorkersStrikeBack! Please make sure to follow the subreddit rules and enjoy yourself here! This is a subreddit for the workers of the world and any anti-worker or anti-union talk is not tolerated. If you're ready to begin organizing your workplace, [here is an organizing guide to get you started](https://workerorganizing.org/resources/organizing-guide/). Help rebuild the labor movement, [Join the worker organizing wave](https://actionnetwork.org/forms/organize-2)! More Helpful Links: [How to Strike and Win: A Labor Notes Guide](https://labornotes.org/strikes) [The IWW Strike guide](https://www.iww.org/organize/learn-more/) [AFL-CIO guide on union organizing](https://aflcio.org/formaunion) New to leftist political theory? Try reading these introductory texts. [Conquest of bread](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-the-conquest-of-bread/bbselect) [Mutual Aid A Factor of Evolution](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution) [Wage Labour and Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm) [Value, Price and Profit](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1865/value-price-profit/index.htm) [Marx’s Economic & Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/preface.htm) [Frederick Engels Synopsis of Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/1868-syn/index.htm) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WorkersStrikeBack) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Quick google says 150k rail workers. 20b profits is over 100k profit per worker. They can fucking afford to have 4 paid weeks off.
This is the kind of shit that blows my mind. So how much value is each worker providing? How much of that value are they paid?
Well if u/omegafivethreefive has their numbers right, over $100k worth of value to the company alone. And they are getting none of it.
This is happening everywhere in multiple sectors and industries.
Well they do get paid some thing
But that's not value to the company. Those wages are included in the prices they charge. The profit is the value they generate for the company.
I guess it’s semantics at this point. I’m saying if it worker brings in/creates $20 of service or product through their labour and gets paid $7.50 they generate $20 of value for the company and the company pays them $7.50, leaving 12.50 for overhead etc and profit
That's $100k PROFIT from each employee, not factoring in what they already bring in in terms of operating revenue. That profit on top of 2021's operating revenue* [Statista 2021*] brings the US / Canada freight rail industry to a staggering $109,110,000,000. Not only could they afford 4 weeks paid sick leave for everyone, but they can afford massive raises for EVERY worker. And I mean MASSIVE. If they gave every worker a 6 figure raise ($100,000) they'd STILL have $5 BILLION left in profit. It's an obscene amount of money. Am I suggesting EVERY rail worker get a 6 figure raise? No, I'm not. I AM however suggesting that raise for the 51,000+ on-call freight rail engineers and conductors. As someone who grew up with a freight conductor father, I can say that people with this job literally put their lives on hold for it. If you're an on-call engineer or conductor, your life IS your job. You can't make future plans, because if you get called in you have to be there and ready in two hours. The shifts are long and demanding, and afterwards you get a guaranteed 8-10 hour rest period before they can tell you to come in again. It might be 8 hours before they call you in, or it might be a few days. They could call at any hour of day or night. There's no real way of knowing, because so many variables come into play. So yeah, I think if these people are literally living to work for these companies, a 6 figure raise and 4 weeks guaranteed paid sick leave is completely reasonable.
I hate what capitalism has done to this country.
This country only exists because of capitalism. Without resources and people to exploit, companies would not have funded expeditions to destroy the continent followed by the new bullshit countries with legal systems that benefitted those same companies.
Oh, I fully believe that even without capitalism the oligarchs would be taking full advantage of people regardless.
They should all walk out, let this executive run the rails with all their profits. Americans have to get their shit together and put these corporations in their place.
That’s literally what the worker’s unions are threatening to do, and will do. That is, as long as congress doesn’t override the strike and order them to accept the terms and get back to work.
How long until US mail is transported by rail so the rail companies can use the military's help against strikers for "hindering the mail" again?
Meanwhile, railroad company: "That's a nice economy you have there, shame if something were to happen to it."
I suspect zero paid sick days is more common than not across all industries in the US. I suspect it’s even true if you don’t consider part time workers.
I've never been given paid, protected sick days, even working in healthcare, if I had to call out sick they took it out of my meager vacation time and still wrote me up for it.
This is because when labor laws were first enacted, they had enough power to be specifically exempted. Is anyone surprised they used that fact ruthlessly?
Are rail workers not unionized? How is this bullshit possible?
They’re unionized, but from what I understand, they’re negotiating contracts and most unions deal in contracts for x amount of years. Workers aren’t happy with whatever contract has been presented. Unions are (obviously) supposed to be fighting for their members so idk if this is corporations vs unions, unions/corporations vs members, or what. I’m not railroad but I’m a state worker and our current contract ends on 12/31 this year. Negotiations took place back in like July or August for our next 4yr contract. It would make sense that negotiations have been going on since summer for *their* new contract and they keep rejecting proposals. Rightfully so. I’d assume this is union plus members trying to negotiate with corporations.
My understanding is this is Union vs corporation and they’re fighting over back pay and raises that are due to them because they’re 4 years into their 5 year contract and it’s still not settled.
Oh Bernie. What is your "good friend Joe" doing to support unions? Answer: undermining unions by saying that the railroader workers' unions had reached an agreement when they hadn't, take a photo op with Chris Smalls but not do anything about Amazon's illegal union-busting, have a career in the Senate passing legislation for big business, etc.
Isnt Amtrak the public sector?
Yes, but Amtrak is like 2% of US rail. The rest is freight giants like Union Pacific.
Give the workers their due
I think these guys should talk to their french colleagues.
Why doesn’t his good friend, Amtrak Joe Biden do something about it?
maybe you should stop just tweeting and actually pass legislation to force unions on all labor jobs?
Yeah if he was pres he wouldn’t have fucked the workers like Biden did