Havent heard alot from this Union since the PSR implementation. As of late, nothing at all. The last thing I heard was to "make sure to protect your jobs", well is that what a little under a 100 a month gets you nowadays? Seriously, where are they? This whole situation is getting weirder by the day. Fra is missing, unions are being quiet, its almost as if Blackrock has them all on the payroll now. I mean a trillion dollar hedgefund investment firm would most likely have that power. Funny how something like PSR opens up a whole new outlook on the way the world actually operates. I dont know about anyone else but I have learned more than I have ever wanted to know about goverment corruption, bribery, corporate greed. I understand the saying ABSOLUTE POWER, CORRUPTS ABSOLUTLEY.
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You might want to put what union you belong so we can all better understand. As trainmen and Local Chairman I can say I agree and disagree. It does start at the Local level because that is who the everyday railroad sees as the face of the union. If you don't like the local officers, dont just vote them out, vote someone in. I will say I have attended conferences and although 90% of them seemed like they were serious about their position but the other 10% were just there. As far as "where are the unions?", I can tell you from my union is they are there. I get updates all the time that I share with the local. It's on the website as well. Again, depends on what craft. I can say this is an uphill battle and every contract we see the same sh– of just complaining. I'm not saying we're wrong for complaining and don't have reason to, but the members need to be more involved. Show up to meetings! We have more attendance lately but guys want to complain, then make excuses to not go to the meeting. Again..this depends on the union and location. But get involved regardless of where you are, hold your local officers accountable, and make them work. If I have a question I dont have an answer to, I ask..if I domt like the general chairman's answer, I call international. Not as a hot headed L/C but simply as a union rep trying to help my members out. Let's be honest..SMART sent out notification asking what the members want to see in the next contract at the bargaining table, but how many actually sent it in to the email they posted? I'd say a pretty small amount. These are missed opportunities for us. I hope for the best for everyone and get involved.
All I have to say is wow. I agree the union is and has been absent for a long time, but who’s fault is that. Yours and mine, for voting these fools back in! It starts at the local level and then we work our way to the top, vote out the dead weight and put in place men and women who are boots on the ground.... and for what I do remember about unions, the unions brought you and I the 5 day work week, they brought us the 40 hour work week the paid time off(all be it not enough) they are supposed to be there to protect you when needed and yes I do agree the bottom 10% benefits from the protection aspect but I do think it would be a lot worse without them. I say dump the aerospace and machinists union and we get in bed with teamsters and or BLET! Strength in numbers, if we are all part of the same union we all negotiate together we all stand strong together we would be a force! Imho!
The strike needs to be against paying for a service that doesn’t work. The union is the only thing that comes out of my pocket that has no value. If I purchase a ten dollar toaster that doesn’t work then I want my money back and will put towards a better brand as the same for most anyone. The strike should be stopping the dues out of paychecks for something that has obviously proven it doesn’t work!!!!!!
I know lots of people who work non union jobs and others who work union jobs outside of RR and non of these people have ever had to worry about there jobs like a RR worker does every quarter of their life.
The seniority system must be abolished so the next time UP goes through its greedy pocket lining layoffs the hardworking men and women have no worries. I talking about the ones who are always given a hard time year in and year out by their own fellow workers for doing their jobs right even while no one is watching. Then without this rigid seniority system the ones who are drawing the attention ( the lazy anchor throwers, attendance problem, mile long discipline history) employees are FINALLY sorted through. As long as this rigid seniority system is in place to protect lazy sorry people the UP will continue throughout your carrier doing exactly what their doing today!!!!!
The union has been collecting for many years and the only work I’ve ever seen a union official do is protect the bottom of the barrel employees. This is not a guess, This is the only time I have ever seen the union, which is protecting a lazy, lying, stealing employee.
The real corruption is the union!!!! Been collecting for years and are no where to be found. Thousands of men and women have paid dues for better working conditions etc. and are struggling today after sacrificing a quality of life, “BUT” always paid there dues. Unions have been collecting and still are , but are no where around when needed to do what they say they will.
Crooks, corruption, thieves = Union !!!!!
Weirder by the day is absolutely right.
And weirdest of all is that the politicians are doing absolutely nothing. It is positively anti-american, anti-middle class, and anti-family.
It's a great insight into what Wall Street thinks of the country. The message they are sending is clear: this is the new normal. Get used to it.
Someone will emerge as The Joker out of this chaos....just saying