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
Federal Judge Sides With Journalists, Protesters in Chicago Over Violent Tactics of Trump’s Federal Agents
Take Action Now “Individuals are allowed to protest,” the judge said. “They are allowed to speak. That is guaranteed by the First Amendment to our…
First Ceasefire, Then Palestinian Liberation
Take Action Now Trump’s deal does nothing to address the root cause of injustice: Israel’s brutal military rule and oppression of Palestinians.By…
A Movement-Based Opposition To Trump And MAGA
Take Action Now In the absence of adequate resistance in the electoral arena, an alliance of popular movements is functioning as the primary…
‘I’m Terrified I’ll Die’: Bernie Sanders Unveils Report On Healthcare Devastation Looming For American Families
Take Action Now The Sanders report concludes by not only vowing to reverse the Republican healthcare cuts, but to “work to end the international…