Workers say now is the time to do the impossible.
by Kari Lydersen, In These Times
Railroad workers packed themselves into hotel conference rooms near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in June 2022 to talk fervently about a momentous event potentially on the horizon: the first industry-wide rail strike in three decades.
“All 12 railroad unions have proclaimed themselves united,” said Ron Kaminkow, Railroad Workers United (RWU) general secretary, during a conference session about chokepoints in the supply chain. “There could actually be a national railroad strike for the first time in almost 30 years.”
Contract negotiations between those 12 unions and the country’s major freight railroad companies had ground to a halt by the conference, which was organized by RWU and the pro-union group Labor Notes.
In July, 99.5% of the membership of the union representing railroad engineers — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen — voted to authorize a strike if legal hurdles were cleared.
Recent Posts
Militarized Immigration Enforcement Incompatible With Democracy
Take Action NowICE’s targeting of virtually anyone who is not white and English-speaking — including, ironically, Native Americans — exposes this…
Trump’s Back-and-Forth Threats on Iran Are Psychological Warfare
Take Action NowAs Trump threatens Iran yet again, Congress continues to abdicate its responsibility to rein in war.By Hanieh Jodat, Truthout As…
U.S. Media Keen on Iranian Unrest—Less So on U.S. and Israel’s Role in It
Take Action Now Democrats have a rare moment of leverage to pass legislation ending qualified immunity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement…
The Senate Must Not Fund ICE, A Zero Hour Conversation With Sonali Kolhatkar
Take Action Now “We’ve seen a really sharp change in how the public views immigration enforcement, particularly ice, to the point where…