(Our friend xaxnar has also written on these events, with some important background information and some thoughts about where the US needs to go with rail. Do give it a read, won’t you?)
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Railroad Department has announced that its members at four of the nation’s largest freight carriers finally have paid sick days:
The IBEW and BNSF Railway reached an agreement April 20 to grant members four short-notice, paid sick days, with the ability to also convert up to three personal days to sick days. The union reached similar understandings with CSX and Union Pacific on March 22, and with Norfolk Southern on March 10. Unused sick time at the end of a year can be paid out or rolled into a worker’s 401(k) retirement account.
You may recall a certain level of hue and cry that the Biden Administration “failed” or “abandoned” railroad workers by not forcing this change through Congress when the latter group updated the national collective bargaining agreement in late 2022. Well, the IBEW made it quite clear whose efforts helped them negotiate on this issue:
“We’re thankful that the Biden administration played the long game on sick days and stuck with us for months after Congress imposed our updated national agreement,” Russo said. “Without making a big show of it, Joe Biden and members of his administration in the Transportation and Labor departments have been working continuously to get guaranteed paid sick days for all railroad workers.
Bernie Sanders was also singled out for his efforts:
On Feb. 8, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wrote a letter to the leaders of six Class I railroads, urging them to guarantee at least seven paid sick days for all of their workers.
“Last year, the companies you lead made over $22 billion in profits,” Sanders wrote, noting that they had cut 30% of the workforce over the last six years. “Guaranteeing seven paid sick days to rail workers would cost your industry just $321 million.”
Russo is grateful that Sanders stepped in. “We truly compliment his effort to bring dignity to workers in the rail industry,” he said. “Without it, we very likely would not have gotten what we have gained today.”
Here’s yet another case of Biden using behind-the-scenes influence to get the job done, and it’s important to note Sanders’ judicious use of his bully pulpit toward the same goal. Let’s hear it for teamwork!
It will be interesting to see how long the two remaining Class I railroads hold out on this point; with the industry leaders finally granting paid sick days, the pressure is on the laggards to follow suit.