Back in July, long before the threat of a freight rail strike was looming, I told you how important freight rail is to our economy. Four of the 12 unions representing freight rail workers have rejected a deal that would prevent a December 9 walkout. The contract spurned by bargaining units included a 24 percent pay raise by 2024, annual $1,000 bonuses, and no increases in health care costs. But the proposed deal guarantees only one sick day a year instead of the 15 sought by iron benders and gandy dancers. The Railway Labor Act authorizes Congress to impose a contract if no agreement is reached with rail carriers. President Joe Biden calls himself a friend of organized labor, but has already called on Congress to intervene. This is a no-brainer.
The freight must flow.
This is also why I oppose the expansion of passenger rail. Fright rail is too damn important. Privately-owned freight lines should never be forced to cede control of its tracks to accommodate Amtrak, which is perhaps the most inefficient passenger rail in the country. "To do anything to knowingly undermine the fluidity of the freight network is frankly wrongheaded and at odds with the overarching goal of maximizing freight movement, " says Ian Jefferies of the Association of American Railroads.
The freight must flow.
Freight rail is important to both our economy and environment.
Freight rail owns 140,000 miles of track, transports a third of all exports and 40% of our long-distance freight volume. It has become immensely profitable, earning $71 billion in 2019, and its volume is expected to grow 50% by 2050.
Environmentally, it emits about 25% of the pollution you'll find from trucking. It handles what are often called the "middle miles" as intermodal containers are offloaded from ships directly onto trains about 200 cars long and then are passed off to trucks for the final miles.
Expansion of passenger rail, which has never made a profit, will actually result in more congestion because there will be more trucks on the road.
We already have passenger trains going to NYC. It is called Transbridge Bus, and is privately owned.
We're wasting federal dollars to study, yet again, the feasibility of passenger rail. If we recognize that freight rail is important enough to require Congressional intervention to prevent a strike, then it's timeto drop these pipedreams of riding the choo-choo..
Interruption of freight rail for a strike or passenger service would be an economic catastrophe. A strike would interrupt the shipment of 300,000 barrels of oil daily, delay the shipment of new cars, slow the transport of refrigerated food and result in numerous Christmas shortages.
The freight must flow.
29 comments:
Freight rail should pay full burden tax on land that does not have any active or operational track. They apparently think it is worth 10X market value but pay little or no tax to the local taxing bodies. If they have no interest in utilizing these tracts, they should pay full burden tax as it has shareholder value and no value to the greater public good. If Corporations are people too, they should pay property tax like the people.
Yes, and if we could only upgrade our trains so they literally don't look like an Iron Horse, that would be nice.
How does America place Bullet Trains and hubs for passenger travel throughout our country? It works for Europe why don’t we have that type of transportation? Traveling by bus is not a solution it’s just a bandaid which causes more traffic on our highways.
I refuse to fall for this corporate propaganda. Let the workers strike, and let the freight railroad fail. The working class is tired of doing the bidding for corporations that post record-setting profits and refuse to respond to basic human concessions like flexible sick leave and less grueling on-call schedules. The freight rail employees have the unique position to shift bargaining power to the working class and it’s time we start doing it.
Spoken like a true boomer Uber consumer hell bent on melting glaciers, and economic growth on the backs of your hard working comrades who only seek reasonable sick days and family time off from the drudgery of bringing Cletus and Billy Slob their latest gadgets.
We need a green revolution forget this Green new deal crap it doesn’t matter if you plug a zillion cow sphincters we must do less with more back to the days of horse buggy and plow let the Amish run the show they have real community
BLUE BADGER
Passenger rail was ridiculous before we entered our work-from-home world. Now, wasting money on it is criminally insane. Amtrak should be sold at auction immediately.
The bosses COULD meet all of the workers’ very reasonable demands, but are instead choosing to force them into a strike. Lay the blame for any disruption at THEIR feet.
"He who controls the freight controls the universe."
"
What we need to do in this country is make an elevated rail system right down 78 to NYC with stops along the way. we own the land and all have large center median sections. A completely independent rail system that does not effect freight rail service nor utilize any of that track. Also one coming down rt 80 to NYC
Funny how quickly the train narrative has changed.
It seems like just before Election Day that we were being told that the great man of the people, the man of the working man and unions, the #1 rider of AmTrak, had personally taken care of the whole situation and reached a settlement that was in everyone's best interests.
Now it's time for Congress to act.
Who would have thought it?
Somedays I think you are the only one that gets the importance of rail for freight and understanding of the silliness of passenger rail using are important freight railways.
Doesn't sound encouraging. It costs a million a mile to build new rail in this country. I'm sure the unios have no part in that cost.
If rail workers strike, any sympathy for their plight will soon evaporate. The strike would touch each and every American in a negative way. The unions are playing a hand they don't have.
"Freight rail should pay full burden tax on land that does not have any active or operational track. "
I'd agree and add that all landowners should be assessed a vacancy tax on buildings that are dormant. This should depress market prices and rents, making property more affordable.
"How does America place Bullet Trains and hubs for passenger travel throughout our country? It works for Europe why don’t we have that type of transportation? Traveling by bus is not a solution it’s just a bandaid which causes more traffic on our highways."
I'm unable to find a link, but recall reading that US geography is much different and discourages passenger rail. If that were true, it would discourage freight rail as well. But your derision of buses is ridiculous. One bus takes 40-80 people off the roads. It results in less, not more, traffic.
All solutions should be considered. An elevated rail system over I-78 is a classic, however. Amtrak has for decades proven we cannot efficiently run a public passenger rail system. Is anyone not clear on this, at this point? Also, we can't properly maintain the bridges we've already built. How are we going to maintain sixty miles or bridges? That's 6 0 miles. We're $31trillion in debt and well past buying more wasteful stuff we can't afford.
"It seems like just before Election Day that we were being told that the great man of the people, the man of the working man and unions, the #1 rider of AmTrak, had personally taken care of the whole situation and reached a settlement that was in everyone's best interests."
He did. I think Biden has been a weak president. But I do not blame him that 4 of 12 rail unions narrowly rejected a pretty good (not perfect) deal he reached with union reps and carriers. He has called on Congress because that's what the law requires.
"The bosses COULD meet all of the workers’ very reasonable demands, but are instead choosing to force them into a strike. Lay the blame for any disruption at THEIR feet."
It's shocking to me that a rail worker currently gets no sick days and is actually penalized for taking time off. Carriers claim this is necessary, but that is bullshit bc they have reduced the work force.
New diesel engines exhaust cleaner air than they take in. That's why all those exhaust snakes in service garages are long gone. You can run 20 trucks or busses indoors and not smell a thing. Additionally, new Class 7 and Class 8 electric engines deliver 400+ HP and a 300-mile range. The speed of their development and their rapid improvement is wild to watch. It's pretty weird driving a big rig that's silent and has so much torque and HP. I wouldn't believe it possible if I hadn't driven several myself. Tesla has jumped in and their offering is impressive, although not as impressive as landing rockets backwards at their launch pads. No need for passenger trains. We're on to the next thing.
Are gandy dancers still used? I thought rail realignment was now done by machine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/us/politics/rail-strike-biden.html
Signed
Air Traffic Controllers
Marty Walsh is the USA's problem now. Nice patronage job.
Years ago congress required the railroads to install a new safety system that prevents trains from running red signals, from speeding etc. After spending billions the railroads decided to start running freight trains with only a one-man crew in the cab and someone chasing in a car incase help was needed. The unions said "not over out dead bodies". When a federal agency as well as some states proposed a requirement for all trains to have a two-man crew then President Trump jumped in and issued an executive order stating that the crew issue had to be resolved thru collective bargaining. That has been the main sticking point the past three years.
The railroads finally blinked and dropped the one man crew proposal but the damage was done in regards to labor relations. The railroads cut thousands before the pandemic to increase stock prices and cut more during the pandemic. When traffic rebounded few of the laid off workers came back. New workers now get hired but most leave eventually because of lousy working conditions, The railroads are making huge profits but run their operations as though they operate like a plantation. Things won't get any better. When this get settled each side will take every chance to shove it up the ass of someone on the other side and when the older employees get their three years of backpay they will simply leave/retire.
IN regards to passenger rail locally, dream on. And B. O. mentions Trans Bridge. That company has become a joke. They dont have enough drivers and are cancelling bused in and out of NYC. REecently the Morning Call ran a story telling how passengers were left stranded in NYC on a Saturday night as the run was cancelled.
Is Marty Walsh a Gandy Dancer?
25percent raise in two years? Sounds pretty good
The tradeoff on reductio of sick days was an increase in pay. Two sides to every story.
Are you even listening here? Stop defending corporate greed and start listening to your employees.
They don’t care about money because they literally get all the overtime they can muster. They care about having the ability to take off sick days without being persecuted for it.
Time off is always better than money.
Buffet owns the rails and he already got his gift from Biden when the Keystone XL pipeline was killed. It all goes by rail and all the money goes to Buffet.
You dolt, they were given increased pay for a reduction in paid sick days. Are the railroads holding a gun to their heads preventing them from calling out? They are employed in critical infrastructure, there are tradeoffs in life my friend.
I'm glad that you have your finger on the pulse of the American worker and know what everyone wants. If you are that concerned with corporate greed, start your own company and listen to your employees. I'm sure you will change your tune when some of those employees take advantage of you.
Nice try, but that’s not what happened. The employees wanted flexibility in the ability to take sick time while on call, without being penalized. And considering that they have brutal on call schedules, it posed a real serious safety concern because they had to work, while sick.
Sure, there are trade-offs in life, even if it means having no compassion for the health of your fellow employees, as long as they provide that “critical infrastructure” to ensure your box of butt plugs arrive on time from Amazon.
Not only do I have my finger on the pulse, but I also take their blood pressure and on occasion, offer them some food and drink for their efforts.
Because unlike you, I’m not some wannabe capitalist doing the bidding for billion dollar corporations that exploit labor for pennies on the dollar.
Here’s a newsflash, you’re never going to be wealthy and they’ll never invite you into their club. These corporations will never offer you stock options so stop being so individualistic and start thinking about your fellow working class neighbor. You have more in common with them than you will ever have with billionaires.
Ah, ya got me. I had a job I didn't like once, so I got another job.
I work in critical infrastructure, and I don't mind the tradeoff of being called into work from vacation or working when I'm sick. I'm part of the bigger picture and accept my insignificant sacrifices for the better good. Your selfishness is showing but you seem to think otherwise.
My neighbors work in finance, medicine and self-employed and we get along just fine, and we do take care of each other. Sorry to burst your angry self centered bubble, I need to get back to paying some bills to the evil corporations that provide me with water, electricity and a place to live.
But do tell on the butt plugs, what's the scoop?
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