To me, the main need for unions lies in the right to due process. If you read the "at will" clause in any employment handbook, it states that the handbook is not a contract and that employees may be discharged at any time, without reason. This means a longtime, faithful employee may be replaced by the boss' illiterate nephew at any time, without recourse, and it is perfectly legal.

A ratified collective bargaining agreement, however, IS a legal contract, subject to interpretation by state labor boards, or in the case of railroaders, the National Railroad Adjustment Board in Chicago. These agreements can further go through the court system, if necessary. Without such agreements, workers have little, if any, protection.

Non-union company policies, however benevolent for now, can be (and often are) changed on a whim without a contract in place. Two people doing the exact same job, with the exact same performance record, can be paid two different wages, depending on who the boss likes best.

Railroad workers have their own labor act (preceding the Wagner Act by about 8 years) and their own federal pension system apart from Social Security. In many ways, the Wagner Act and Social Security were modeled on the previous railway examples.

Yes, there have been concessions to technology as time goes by, some good, some bad. There is a big debate now over remote control, which we workers feel is unsafe. Today, more freight is being moved than WWII, but with a fraction of the workers.

Nearly every law dealing with railway safety came about through an initial push by the unions. Most railroads today talk a good line about safety, but seldom invest in the costly improvements to really make things safer. It is much cheaper to hand out keychains with safety slogans and put the blame on the employee for violating a safety rule when an injury occurs. Because of this, we want FELA to stay in place and not be replaced by a form of workman's comp.

Having been forced to work non-union for a time, I can tell you there is no comparision in wages. I now make more than double what I made before, with much improved conditions and benefits. The non-union companies gave us free coveralls and free coffee and donuts - I'll take a living wage any time.

Even the shortlines are slowly becoming organized again, with about 60% now represented by UTU or BLE. They do not work at class one wages, but at least have the right to due process and seniority. The latter two reasons are why the shortline conglomerates resort to bribery, threats and intimidation to keep unions out. Without due process, they can make all the promises they want, then rescind them without notice. The bunch I worked for paid a team of lawyers $900 an hour for two years to prevent a contract from being signed which had only small pay increases. It was a case of wanting to deny workers due process and genuine legal rights much more than money.

Today, I am very lucky to work for good people and make a good wage, but I know much of the reason for that lies in the labor agreement between my union and the carrier. So if you hold strong non-union sympathies, I'd suggest not versing them in a railroad yard, because you won't find much agreement and won't make any friends.

Railway Labor Act
ryarger@rypn.org

One of the most bitter fights between unions was fought at Westwood CA during 1937. It envolved the AFL and the CIO.

Which union called out for a dog-house for the head-end break-man on locomotives?

JImmy "B"


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