You’re only a worker if you’re a guy who hits things with a hammer.

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We’re not sick but we’re not well

They currently have zero (0) sick days and would like some

The two major issues addressed in the September 15 deal brokered by the White House between the railroads and the BLET and SMART-TD were health care costs and time off for medical appointments.

Press reports made it sound like the deal would create three sick days for railroad workers. But once the actual language came out, what was created turned out to be something less than sick time: heavily circumscribed, unpaid time off for routine or preventative medical appointments, on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday with at least 30 days notice, plus no attendance penalties for hospitalization or surgery.

https://labornotes.org/2022/10/we-are-not-done-yet-railroad-track-workers-reject-deal

https://perfectunion.us/rail-profits-soaring-at-workers-expense/

In 2001, leading American freight carriers CSX, KC Southern, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific earned average operating margins of about 15%. That means that after accounting for all the costs associated with running a railroad (including money spent on compensation & benefits), for every $100 of revenue, investors were left with $15 of profit. Twenty years later that number has skyrocketed to over $41.

Buybacks and Dividends

Since 2010, all 7 class I’s have paid out $136 BB ($146 BB in inflation adjusted dollars) in stock buybacks and cash distributions by BNSF to its owner. On top of that, the class I’s have paid $47 BB ($50 BB in inflation adjusted dollars) in dividends during the same period. Thus, since 2010, the RR’s owners have taken home more than an astounding $183 BB ($196 BB in inflation adjusted dollars) in buybacks and dividends, far more than the $138BB ($150 BB in inflation adjusted dollars) spent on the RR’s infrastructure.

https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/NARS-Speech-9-8-21.pdf

Layoffs

Class I railroads have reduced their workforce by 29 percent over the past six years, according to the unions. In the middle of the supply snarl last summer [2021], Union Pacific closed service for a week between Los Angeles and Chicago, two key hubs, due to a lack of equipment or manpower.

https://prospect.org/economy/railroad-profit-making-strategy-comes-at-a-cost/

PSR is (sort of) the cause

https://twitter.com/a320lga/status/1598766781686251521

https://twitter.com/mayorseidel/status/1598520757138513920

Why No Paid Leave

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/11/rail-strike-why-the-railroads-wont-give-in-on-paid-leave-psr-precision-scheduled-railroading.html

The Liver King

Pink Sauce Follow Up

Lol

https://twitter.com/teddyschleifer/status/1597412760014290945?s=12&t=zMDbE0t4mi_eR_xAlBMUOA

Also:

BlockFi BlockFinished

GloriFi Also Owned

MORMONS MOST DISCRIMINATED GROUP

https://twitter.com/cliffsmithzbrdz/status/1597277510118834177?s=12&t=Fz1I8j5Yc–1lrCE42Xg1Q

Rail workers: not workers

https://twitter.com/grillpillmax/status/1597731954384068608

Counterpoint: no, keep him away from anything nuclear

https://twitter.com/bradneuberg/status/1597676806249021440