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U.P. Locomotive Engineer, Paul Lindsay Talks about Regulating Train Length, Recent Wrecks, and Solutions to Problems

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  • Member since
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  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, April 20, 2023 12:11 PM

Nationalization would probably require an Act of Congress which by definition makes it a political issue.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, April 20, 2023 1:28 PM

The RWU position on 'nationalization' is actually here:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/505b96a8c4aa40a37a143c49/t/634727bb9a8a3523da77a389/1665607613004/RWU+Resolution+in+Support+of+Public+Ownership+of+the+Rail+Industry+-+FINAL+10-12-22.pdf

They seem to think that Federal Control was an outstanding success.

Interestingly, they're not calling for 'iron ocean' route nationalization (with private access) with some analogue of Federal air-traffic controlling for dispatch and administration.  Nor are they calling for any real form of compensation for nationalizing what amounts to a large chunk of the general system of transportation.  Whether or not some inchoate revolution against PSR and perceived-as-deficient safety culture can be spun up to the point some sort of 'war emergency power' can be invoked as in 1917... doubtless with the same rhetoric that 'we're saving railroads from themselves in ways we'd call illegal if they tried it themselves'... I don't know.  As noted, for RWU to have any place in that brave new world of railroading, great chunks of the Railway Labor Act and subsequent legislation would need to be 'revised'.  In my opinion the RWU has aspirations of being like the SEIU, with outsized clout in shaping national policy.  I am not sure I like giving either organization that privilege as they are currently constituted.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, April 20, 2023 2:49 PM

Overmod
In my opinion the RWU has aspirations of being like the SEIU, with outsized clout in shaping national policy.  I am not sure I like giving either organization that privilege as they are currently constituted.

But implicit in your opinion is that outsized corporate clout is "just right" as in Snow White's experience. Right!!

In my previous post, I referred to ideology, not politics. 

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, April 20, 2023 4:02 PM

charlie hebdo
 
Overmod
In my opinion the RWU has aspirations of being like the SEIU, with outsized clout in shaping national policy.  I am not sure I like giving either organization that privilege as they are currently constituted. 

But implicit in your opinion is that outsized corporate clout is "just right" as in Snow White's experience. Right!!

In my previous post, I referred to ideology, not politics. 

SEIU googles to 1.9 million members - RWU doesn't list membership numbers.

SEIU has been around since 1921, RWU since 2007

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, April 20, 2023 5:26 PM

charlie hebdo
But implicit in your opinion is that outsized corporate clout is "just right" as in Snow White's experience. Right!!

Wrong.  I would think you'd be getting tired of being wrong, but I guess ad hominems are a never-ending source of unjustified one-liners.

'Outsizxed corporate clout' is worse than rightsized union clout.  Obviously.  Getting to where the railroad doesn't wield it is probably going to take re-regulation and new legislation, but I think that is clearly coming.  Both sides need to be at a strength that allows the job of transportation to be done, without either employees or other stakeholders being abused in the process.

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