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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 5 deceMber 2022
Rail workers say deal won’t resolve quality-of-life concerns

By JOSH FUNK the years to forego paid
AP Business Writer sick leave in favor of higher
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — When wages and strong short-
BNSF railroad conductor term disability benefits that
Justin Schaaf needed to kick in after as little as four
take time off from work this days.
summer, he had to make But to retired engineer
a choice: go to the dentist Jeff Kurtz, there is still a lot
to get a cavity in his molar of work to be done to re-
filled or attend a party for store the quality of life he
his son’s 7th birthday. enjoyed before he left the
He chose his son. railroad eight years ago.
“Ultimately I decided to He doubts rail workers to-
take the day off for my kid’s day would be able to
birthday party,” Schaaf get time off for key family
said. “Then when I am fi- events on short notice the
nally able to get into the way he did when he found
dentist four, five, six months out his son was getting his
later, the tooth is too bad doctorate right before
to repair at that point, so Christmas in 2009.
I have to get the tooth “You hear when you hire
pulled out.” out on the railroad you’re
Those are the kind of trad- going to miss some things.
eoffs that railroad workers A rail worker switches a track for a Locomotive in the Selkirk rail yard, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, But you’re not supposed to
worry they might still have in Selkirk, N.Y. Associated Press miss everything,” said Kurtz,
to make after Congress who remains active even
voted this week to impose For Schaaf, he’s not sure if 18 times since the passage time and the demanding in retirement with the Rail-
a contract on them to the new contract will make of the 1926 Railway Labor schedules that unions say road Workers United coali-
avoid the economic disas- it any easier to find another Act, by the U.S. Chamber make it hard for workers to tion that includes workers
ter that would accompany day off sometime next year of Commerce’s count — ever take a day off domi- from every union.
a railroad strike. Workers to pay to have a fake tooth because of the potential nated the contract talks. “You shouldn’t miss your
and their unions say the implanted in his mouth. economic consequences. The rail unions say they kids growing up. You
deal didn’t do enough to “If I had the option of taking Many businesses rely on rail- weren’t able to get more shouldn’t miss the seminal
address their quality-of-life a sick day ... I would have roads to deliver raw materi- concessions out of the moments in your family’s
concerns and didn’t add never been in that situa- als and ship their final prod- railroads because the big life.”
any sick days. tion,” he said from his home ucts, so a rail strike would companies knew Congress Over the past six years,
President Joe Biden signed in Glasgow, Montana. send a catastrophic ripple would intervene. the major railroads have
a bill Friday to block a Schaaf said it was discour- through the economy. The railroads refused to add eliminated nearly one-third
strike and force workers to aging, but not surprising, Passenger railroads also paid sick days to the deal of their jobs as they over-
accept the agreements to see Congress step in to would be disrupted be- at the end of three years of hauled operations, making
union leaders made in Sep- settle the contract dispute cause so many use tracks negotiations because they the work more demanding
tember, even though four ahead of next Friday’s strike owned by the freight rail- didn’t want to pay much for those who remain.
of the 12 unions — which deadline. roads. more than a special board The unions say they won’t
include a majority of rail Lawmakers have made The five-year deals that rail of arbitrators appointed by stop fighting for more paid
workers — voted to reject a habit of stepping in to workers wound up with in- Biden recommended this sick leave, but now they
them. Business groups had impose contracts when clude 24% raises and $5,000 summer. may have to wait for ne-
been urging Biden to inter- railroads and their unions in bonuses. But concerns Plus, the railroads say the gotiations on the next con-
vene for weeks. reach the brink of a strike — about the lack of paid sick unions have agreed over tract beginning in 2025. q

Keep COVID military vaccine

mandate, defense chief says

Secretary Lloyd Austin by governors to respond to died in the United States of
said he wants to keep the natural disasters or unrest. America. We lost hundreds
military’s COVID-19 vac- Congress may consider in DOD. So this mandate
cine mandate in place to legislation this coming has kept people healthy.”
protect the health of the week to end the mandate “I’m the guy” who ordered
troops, as Republican gov- as a requirement to gather the military to require the
ernors and lawmakers press enough support to pass vaccine, Austin added.
to rescind it. this years’ defense bud- “I support continuation of
This past week more than get, which is already two vaccinating the troops.”
20 Republican governors months late. Last year Austin directed
Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, left, is greeted by sent a letter to President Austin said he would not that all troops get the vac-
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during an honor cordon Joe Biden asking that the comment on pressure from cine or face potential ex-
ceremony, upon his arrival at the Pentagon, Tuesday, Oct. 18, administration remove the the Hill. pulsion from the military;
2022, in Washington. mandate, saying it has hurt “We lost a million people thousands of active duty
Associated Press the U.S. National Guard’s to this virus,” Austin told re- forces have been dis-
By TARA COPP ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY ability to recruit troops. porters traveling with him charged since then for their
Associated Press AIRCRAFT (AP) — Defense Those troops are activated Saturday. “A million people refusal to get the shots.q