On November 21, the last of twelve railroad unions finished voting on whether or not to ratify the tentative contract agreement presented by Joe Biden’s Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) and the National Carrier’s Conference Committee (NCCC). SMART-TD voted down the agreement, while The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) decided in favor of it. In all, four of the twelve unions representing railroad workers have now voted “no” to the tentative agreement. This means that absent an improved deal for the railroad workers, a nationwide railroad strike could begin by December 9.
Due to the Biden Administration’s interference to purposely delay the timing of this labor struggle working people are going to face difficult decisions during the holidays. Consumer goods and everyday essentials are becoming more unaffordable due to profit driven inflation, and the pressure on working people to generatethose profits for the employer has never been higher. The railroad bosses know this and seek to use all of these pains to pressure their workers to accept far less than their labor, expertise, and lives are worth. They know that their outrageous profits are imperiled by giving these workers more control over their lives to be with their families and for essential medical treatment. The bosses will use every tool at their disposal, including the entire United States Government, to protect their own fat pocketbooks at the expense of the working person.
We at Labor United Educational League (LUEL) believe that solidarity among the members of the railroad unions is the most potent weapon with which to defend themselves against the exploitative railroad carriers, and the only way to have their demands met. All the workers of the railroad unions must stand together. We know that when the working people of America stand in solidarity with each other, holding fast, a better future can be won for all.
An injury to one is an injury to all.
A Solidarity Forever!
In unity,
Labor United Educational League (LUEL)
