Obama Averts Railroad Workers’ Strike, Extending Concessions Conflict

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/12079/obama_blocks_railroad_strike_as_occupy_wall_street_protest_rage/

Tuesday Oct 11, 2011 5:47 pm

By Mike Elk

WASHINGTON D.C.—While the growing Occupy Wall Street movement was grabbing headlines last week, little attention was paid to President Obama's decision to block a massive railroad strike called for by nearly 25,000 railroad workers. Railroad strikes are powerful: They disrupt the normal flow of commerce and in the late 1880s created the leverage that helped launch the labor movement.


An artist's rendering of the 1894 Pullman strike, a wildcat strike that halted rail traffic in much of the country and was ultimately ended by federal troops called in by President Grover Cleveland.

Explaining his decision to avert a rail strike, President Obama said, "It's in our national interest to make sure our freight rail system runs smoothly, since a disruption could affect businesses across the country and cause unnecessary damage to our already-fragile economy.” Obama's decision to prevent the strike must be a relief to investors, many of whom have likely watched activists' new "occupations" with gritted teeth.

Currently, 11 unions representing 92,000 railroad workers are negotiating a contract with the the National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC), an industry group representing the major railroad associations. Despite the four largest railroad carriers alone making more $8.5 billion in profits last year, the industry is asking their workers to pay more for healthcare. The National Carriers' Conference Committee, which represents more than 30 railroad companies in negotiations, has pushed for all unions to accept the compromises included in the United Transportation Union's contract earlier this year.

Explaining the decision to accept the contract, UTU leaders told 40,000 union members in written statements that, “Historically, rail unions do poorly after rejecting tentative agreements.” The other eleven unions decided to hold out and fight for a better contract.

On October 3, The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the largest rail workers union in the country (representing 25,000 workers) voted to strike on October 7 if the NCCC did not withdrawal its demands for a concessionary contract. They were joined in their calls for a strike by the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen; several other unions are considering joining their call for a strike.

FULL story at link.