STRIKE: FORCE MAJEURE

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 1:05 pm

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:32 pm Amtrak assumes there will not be a picket line at termini and near locker rooms. That’s probably not the surest thing bet ever made.

Colonel, such a picket line could be construed as a Secondary Boycott- prohibited by the first of The Trilogy, or the Wagner Act.

So Amtrak would have the law of the land on their side; any such line would be gone as soon as a judge could be kicked out of bed to sign a TRO - Temporary Restraining Order.

I already commented on this in the other thread ( https://www.railroad.net/post1606541.html#p1606541 ).

If Sunnyside or Union Station are served by one of the BLET roads, then there's cause to picket the site. If not, it's in that grey area where you'd see an injunction issued, but how much damage can be done before the courthouse does their thing?....

Trains is now reporting Amtrak is suspending the overnight services and certain day trains.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Wed Sep 14, 2022 8:12 am Trains is now reporting Amtrak is suspending the overnight services and certain day trains.

Relevant quote from the article:

Amtrak has said it will only operate trains that can reach their final destination by 12:01 a.m. on Friday, when a freight rail strike or lockout could begin.

So, 2 night trains are suspended. Overnights are suspending now. Daytrips will suspend soon. Regional commuter suspends Friday.

I really should invest in popcorn futures...

Politico has picked up the beat.

I’ve also noticed gas in my town jumped 30 cents a gallon yesterday.

This is a bad thing waiting to happen.

Corporate gouging if you're seeing a 30 cent jump on gas prices when nothing has happened yet. But I'm sure you follow the railroads propaganda and blame labor for that even though we will have to pay it too.

I won't even go into the fact that gas prices have been fickle my whole life, but sure blame labor.

I'm 50 by the way, so yes it's been the same thing with gas prices since 1971. They more than doubled down on a car-based economy during that time even though it was known fossil fuel prices are unstable.

Companies like Amazon have passed the costs on to the consumer by having a truck go to each house to deliver a package. That is extremely inefficient.

But I guess it's all ok as long as the billionaires get their money, right? Just blame labor for any problems, after all according to the railroads labor does not make profit.

I did not say I blame labor. I said gas is up 30 cents a gallon.

More importantly, Amtrak has now cancelled all LD service, and is preparing to cancel all service hosted on a freight RR.

I'd like to know how much actual support for this strike is out there? Aside from the big talkers, you know the guys who say they'll strike when amongst an audience but when the time for action comes they're nowhere to be found, the majority of our guys are saying they can't afford to strike and will work. I'm not trying to be insulting but the breed of railroaders that we now have are far removed from the railroaders that were here when I hired on. These guys have more allegiance to their paycheck than the union that is trying to protect them. When asking around the CSX and NS terminals here in the NY metro area, the consensus is that they will keep working hoping that this is resolved in a matter that isn't going to cause them to miss a paycheck or a mortgage payment. I hope that there is a resolution as working conditions for us are terrible in comparison to the airline industry.

According to the Amtrak Web site, the Downeaster service between Brunswick, Maine and Boston will not be affected by the strike. But doesn't the Downeaster run on CSX in New Hampshire and Maine? Isn't CSX going to be affected by the strike?

charlesriverbranch wrote: Isn't CSX going to be affected by the strike?

See the first page of this thread about halfway down.

AceMacSD wrote: ↑Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:12 pm I'd like to know how much actual support for this strike is out there? Aside from the big talkers, you know the guys who say they'll strike when amongst an audience but when the time for action comes they're nowhere to be found, the majority of our guys are saying they can't afford to strike and will work. I'm not trying to be insulting but the breed of railroaders that we now have are far removed from the railroaders that were here when I hired on. These guys have more allegiance to their paycheck than the union that is trying to protect them. When asking around the CSX and NS terminals here in the NY metro area, the consensus is that they will keep working hoping that this is resolved in a matter that isn't going to cause them to miss a paycheck or a mortgage payment. I hope that there is a resolution as working conditions for us are terrible in comparison to the airline industry.

Don't you guy's have contingency funds for strikes? Also other Unions tend to help out too. Mine assisted the Nurses in Worcester, MA during their strike.

Will the Vermonter, Ethan Allen, and Valley Flyer be affected? To my knowledge they weren't on the list of suspended services, but I also know that they run on freight railroads and weren't mentioned under services that would continue normally.

The Vermonter/Valley Flyer have to cross the CSX diamond in Springfield, MA so they have to get the ok from the CSX dispatcher to do that. The rest of the line to the north is CSX (but still under Pan-Am Southern rules in Mass, then NECR in Vermont). The Ethan Allen would have to run on CSX from Albany to Schenectady so I'm guessing that would be a no.

AceMacSD wrote: ↑Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:12 pm I'd like to know how much actual support for this strike is out there? Aside from the big talkers, you know the guys who say they'll strike when amongst an audience but when the time for action comes they're nowhere to be found, the majority of our guys are saying they can't afford to strike and will work. I'm not trying to be insulting but the breed of railroaders that we now have are far removed from the railroaders that were here when I hired on. These guys have more allegiance to their paycheck than the union that is trying to protect them. When asking around the CSX and NS terminals here in the NY metro area, the consensus is that they will keep working hoping that this is resolved in a matter that isn't going to cause them to miss a paycheck or a mortgage payment. I hope that there is a resolution as working conditions for us are terrible in comparison to the airline industry.

I work in the biggest terminal in the northeast and it's not in the NY metro area. Your post is misleading as most trains on CSX just pass through the NY metro area or the road crews drop and pick up blocks. There is no substantial crew base there, only a hand full of T&E in the north Jersey yards and none of them work the road.

The ones that are left there in north Jersey are insulated as its all yard and local work. The fact is they will be on the sidelines.

In the big terminals the will is there.

Gottaluv this NBC News coverage that aired tonight:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment ... p-AA11Qiio

Little "fact check" is order of the day.

First, the CBU - Collective Bargaining Unit - for the roads is no longer the National Railway Labor Conference; it is now known as the National Carriers Conference Committee. Minor; but still.

Second, there was a clip of a freight in electrified territory handled by an electric locomotive. Obviously from somewhere overseas.

But otherwise, the comments by the Engineer, did a good job of summarizing the underlying working conditions issue.

Valley flyer Trains 494 and 478 are cancelled right now