The United Auto Workers union is on strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the first time in its history that it has struck all three of the nation’s unionized automakers at the same time.
Its a lot easier to support the UAW than the rail workers. Not because of the justice of the positions, but because rail workers striking paralyzes the entire country.
Biden could have forced the companies into more concessions. I mean, things like sickdays and having adequate coverage is just… good business…
Or if the company refused to play ball, nationalized the companies under certain defende acts, instituted the reform (both in staffing, and safety compliance, and a few other areas,). But no. He elected to shaft labor- because the oligarchs couldn’t have that.
It’s been done before. it was wartime, last time. but it’s been done. do I think it’s a good idea? no. Do I think that the things the rail workers were asking for (and didn’t get.) were… reasonable…? absolutely. it would likely have been better for the business in the long term- albeit with lower short term profits.
My point being… Biden could have gone to bat for the employees… and reformed the industry. if it’s so critical, while are we allowing idiots who fail to realize that they actually need to staff appropriate to the time constraints, rather than making their employees work shit loads of overtime and cut out safety checks?
That’s the whole point. Solidarity is solidarity. They wouldn’t strike if the rail barons dropped even a pittance. It’s the 2020s but it might as well be the 1920s.
The rail union got everything they asked for. The admin followed up. They just did a shit job of marketing it and the news doesn’t give a shit about feel-good news… just FUD click shit.
And the administration will likely stay out of this.
no… he didn’t. the unions wanted paid sick days. Like. you know. pretty much every one except walmart and fast food workers. yes, only 4 unions were holding out, but all the unions wanted sick days. Also, keep in mind, the people in question are highly skilled with masters degrees. That’s part of the reason why it’s ‘hard’ to recruit for those positions- that and the absolutely batshit crazy working conditions.
The things they were asking for would have been considered standard for almost any other sector at that level of skill… and really is just basic good-business-sense to give. But, like most stupid and greedy corps, they’re more worried about short term profits being hurt by the overhead of actually staffing adequately than they were about… employee health, the safety of their operations and literally everyone in the public nominally adjacent to their rail ways and yards. The paid sick days would barely even register on their quarterly reports.
FYI, Biden did end up getting them their sick days. He never stopped pressuring the companies. There was just very little reporting on it so I don’t think anyone found out. I thought the same until someone corrected me and linked what I’m putting below
Biden broke the strike setting precedent, then spent months negotiating with the companies in order to get a small percentage of the sick days the employees need. All of this when he could have just forced to rail companies who have raked in billion in windfall profits to capitulate to the union. Biden is no friend to labor
He could have used he situation to get laws passed that required minimum leave fornall workers at the national level, effectively giving the workers what they wanted instead of half asking it.
It ain’t the unions
See rail workers.
Its a lot easier to support the UAW than the rail workers. Not because of the justice of the positions, but because rail workers striking paralyzes the entire country.
Biden could have forced the companies into more concessions. I mean, things like sickdays and having adequate coverage is just… good business…
Or if the company refused to play ball, nationalized the companies under certain defende acts, instituted the reform (both in staffing, and safety compliance, and a few other areas,). But no. He elected to shaft labor- because the oligarchs couldn’t have that.
If you think breaking a strike sets a bad precedent, what do you think nationalizing an entire industry would do?
It’s been done before. it was wartime, last time. but it’s been done. do I think it’s a good idea? no. Do I think that the things the rail workers were asking for (and didn’t get.) were… reasonable…? absolutely. it would likely have been better for the business in the long term- albeit with lower short term profits.
My point being… Biden could have gone to bat for the employees… and reformed the industry. if it’s so critical, while are we allowing idiots who fail to realize that they actually need to staff appropriate to the time constraints, rather than making their employees work shit loads of overtime and cut out safety checks?
That’s the whole point. Solidarity is solidarity. They wouldn’t strike if the rail barons dropped even a pittance. It’s the 2020s but it might as well be the 1920s.
That’s the point.
Id rather support rail workers, the UAW is a pretty shit tier union that’s far too large for it’s own good.
The rail union got everything they asked for. The admin followed up. They just did a shit job of marketing it and the news doesn’t give a shit about feel-good news… just FUD click shit.
And the administration will likely stay out of this.
He literally gave them what they wanted
You’ll enjoy this read (or not depending on how personally invested you are in thinking Biden is anti-union)
https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid
I mean tbf he then gave them their demands, just without paralyzing the economy.
Edit: Apparently he didn’t.
no… he didn’t. the unions wanted paid sick days. Like. you know. pretty much every one except walmart and fast food workers. yes, only 4 unions were holding out, but all the unions wanted sick days. Also, keep in mind, the people in question are highly skilled with masters degrees. That’s part of the reason why it’s ‘hard’ to recruit for those positions- that and the absolutely batshit crazy working conditions.
The things they were asking for would have been considered standard for almost any other sector at that level of skill… and really is just basic good-business-sense to give. But, like most stupid and greedy corps, they’re more worried about short term profits being hurt by the overhead of actually staffing adequately than they were about… employee health, the safety of their operations and literally everyone in the public nominally adjacent to their rail ways and yards. The paid sick days would barely even register on their quarterly reports.
FYI, Biden did end up getting them their sick days. He never stopped pressuring the companies. There was just very little reporting on it so I don’t think anyone found out. I thought the same until someone corrected me and linked what I’m putting below
Source: https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid#:~:text=That pressure%2C plus the IBEW’s,personal days to sick days.
They got all that. Media didn’t cover it because “President’s pressure gets rail workers demands after long process” doesn’t get clicks.
And those 4 unions represented the majority of rail workers.
Biden broke the strike setting precedent, then spent months negotiating with the companies in order to get a small percentage of the sick days the employees need. All of this when he could have just forced to rail companies who have raked in billion in windfall profits to capitulate to the union. Biden is no friend to labor
He could have used he situation to get laws passed that required minimum leave fornall workers at the national level, effectively giving the workers what they wanted instead of half asking it.
Lol no he couldn’t. There aren’t 50 Senators for any of that, let alone 60.
You were right the first time
https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid
People cared enough to get mad but not enough to follow up