Rail Workers Weekly News Digest
Number 12 - March 24, 2020
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Below is a series of articles compiled over the previous week.
They are of interest to railroad workers.
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Article 1 -
CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Railroad Workers United Adopts Resolution on Coronavirus
As the nation's rail carriers drag their feet and fail to live up to their responsibilities under the law to provide a safe workplace, railroad workers and their organizations are demanding action from the rail carriers. Please read the RWU Resolution below
RWU Resolution on Coronavirus and the Railroad
Whereas, the peoples of the world are threatened by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; and
Whereas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the Canadian Public Health Agency, the World Health Organization, and government officials around the world all agree that the best way to slow and stop the spread of this and other diseases is social distancing and quarantine; and
Whereas, many railroad workers labor in close proximity to one another, and handle shared tools and equipment; and
Whereas, many railroad workers are subject to chronic fatigue, laboring long hours often outdoors in all kinds of weather, lacking set work schedules, often expected to be on-call and ready to go to work at any and all hours of the day and night, 365 days a year; and
Whereas
, thousands of railroad workers move millions of Americans across a vast network of intercity and commuter trains, facing a high risk of exposure to illness and disease on a daily basis; and
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Article 2 -
UNIONS AND CORONAVIRUS
Rail Unions Respond to Coronavirus
This past week, more and more unions across North America have been responding to the Coronavirus with demands for action.
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Article 3 -
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Tell Congress We Demand Paid Sick Leave For ALL Working People
(Editor's Note: A large number of railroad workers - including most Train & Engine Service workers - have
never
had paid sick leave. If we are unable to win this at the bargaining table, then perhaps it is time to join with the tens of millions of other workers who likewise have no paid sick leave and demand that it be national law).
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As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is certain: working people need access to paid sick leave. Right now, Congress continues to debate the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), the bill in its current form leaves millions of working people without the ability to access paid sick leave at a time they need it most.
We’re calling on Congress to pass meaningful legislation that leaves no working person behind, ensuring that all those in need can take time away from work to care for themselves or a loved one, without losing crucial pay.
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As each day passes and more cases of the virus are confirmed in our communities, paid sick leave for all workers becomes more urgent than ever. The current bill negotiated by the Trump White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi exempts companies with more than 500 workers from having to cover paid leave. While there are some good provisions in the bill, the paid sick leave exemption is not one of them!
Universal paid sick leave provides workers with the comfort of knowing they won’t miss a paycheck if they need to take time from work to care for themselves or a loved one during the pandemic.
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Article 4 -
HEALTHCARE NEWS
Coronavirus and Medicare for All
(Editor's Note: RWU has supported Medicare for All since our founding in 2008. The Coronavirus pandemic is a shining example of why we need such a health care system in the US).
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COVID-19 presents unprecedented challenges for us here at Healthcare-NOW. Many of our activists have underlying health conditions or are part of other vulnerable populations (the uninsured, seniors, low-income) and must take quarantine very seriously; some – healthcare workers at the front lines, or residents of assisted living communities – will be separated from their families indefinitely. Regarding our education and organizing work, everything is on hold: the office and all of our volunteers and interns, the podcast, and crucially, face-to-face organizing.
Has there ever been a more compelling real-life example of the need for Medicare for All? The faulty logic of free market healthcare and “skin in the game” has been exposed, with even Trump and many Republican lawmakers supporting a bill that would force all insurers to provide testing 100% for free. Yet the establishment isn’t ready to admit what is clear: that our for-profit, patchwork healthcare system isn’t equipped to deal with a pandemic. Joe Biden, who bragged he would veto a Medicare for All bill, doubled down
at the debate
; he claimed a single-payer system wouldn’t “solve the (COVID-19) problem at all”. Then, in almost the next breath, he proposed what is essentially a Medicare for All plan for the virus:
free testing and treatment
for just this one diagnosis.
Even if our politicians won’t do it, it’s important we connect the dots here; to battle a pandemic, we need Medicare for All.
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Article 5 -
LNG BY RAIL NEWS
Rail, Safety Advocates Weigh in on LNG Rule
(Editor's Note: RWU issued a statement on LNG by Rail back when it was first proposed. A number of our recommendations have been adopted by the NTSB. Sadly, the rail industry, the Administration and the FRA are not listening. See the RWU official position on the subject submitted last August to the Pipelines & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration along with an article from
The Highball
, RWU's newsletter, from Fall 2019, both below).
The comment period on PHSMA’s proposed rulemaking closed Jan. 13.
National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) members, attorneys general from 16 states and at least two U.S. senators expressed concerns about what they say would be a risk to public safety should trains be allowed to move LNG in tank cars.
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Article 6 -
RR RETIREMENT BOARD NEWS
Rail Workers Advised to Create Account for Carrier Furloughs or Illness Benefits
The economic uncertainty and long-term health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic present a challenge nationally, and the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), which administers railroad sickness and unemployment benefits, is advising all railroaders to establish an
online login.gov account
.
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Establishing this account gives workers a head start in the event that RRB unemployment or sick benefits are needed by RR workers in the case of carrier furloughs or illness.
Information needed to create the login.gov account includes:
• A current, state-issued ID;
• An email address;
• Enabling two-step authentication;
• Providing basic information such as name, address and phone number;
• Social Security number;
• Address verification.
Once the info is processed, a personal key will be provided to the worker that will be needed to gain access and make changes to the account. This key should be written down and stored in a safe place.
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Article 7 -
INTERNATIONAL RAIL NEWS
A Message from UK Rail Workers to the General Public
Four UK rail unions have issued a statement to the British public concerning travel and coronavirus, pleading with travellers to stay home if at all possible.
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In addition, the biggest rail union in the UK, the Rail, Marine and Transport Union (RMT), insists that all the workers be protected.
General Secretary Mick Cash said; "It is absolutely essential that the rail workforce get the same sort of guarantees and assurances that the Government are offering the train operators. "RMT has been inundated with calls from members fearful that they are being left exposed and left behind. Their health, safety and livelihoods must be protected as the top priority. "The union wants absolute and cast iron guarantees from the government, the train companies and the contractors that wages, jobs and pensions will be protected across the board for both directly employed and contracted staff with no exceptions. "It is crucial that jobs and skills are protected now to ensure the transport sector is fit and ready when the time comes to get back to normal."
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Article 8 -
ORGANIZE AND FIGHT BACK
Organizing in a Pandemic: Labor Notes Resources
Want help organizing your workplace to respond to the pandemic? Check out the link below to access a number of ideas and resources for what workers can do to get organized in this most difficult time.
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