Podcasts about railroad workers united

Two years ago, the US was on the cusp of seeing its first national rail strike in decades. Then, President Joe Biden, at the urging of the rail companies, and with the help of both parties in Congress, preemptively blocked railroad workers from striking in December of 2022. Workers were forced to accept a contract that did not address the vast majority of issues that have been putting them, our communities, and our supply chain at hazard. How has this all shaped railroad workers' attitudes and approaches to the upcoming elections? In this urgent panel discussion, we pose this question directly to three veteran railroaders, and we have an honest discussion about how working people should act strategically within and outside the electoral system to advance their interests.  Panelists include: Hugh Sawyer, a veteran locomotive engineer with 36 years of experience, a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 316, and a founding member and acting treasurer of Railroad Workers United; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 of experience, who has served as co-chair and organizer for Railroad Workers United, where he still edits RWU's quarterly newsletter “The Highball”; Ron Kaminkow, a recently retired former brakeman, conductor, and engineer who worked for many years in freight rail before working 20 years as a passenger engineer at Amtrak, a founding member of RWU and delegate in the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council.  Additional links/info below… Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers speak out after Congress and Biden block rail strike” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Why do railroad workers keep dying on the job?” Maximillian Alvarez & Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Labor militancy can't be stopped: Palestine and Labor Notes 2024” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “US freight workers say it's time to nationalize the railroads” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This was preventable”: Railroad workers explain how Wall St caused the East Palestine derailment" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Corporate billionaires are wrecking the supply chain. Just look at the railroads” Adam Johnson, Nima Shirazi, Maximillian Alvarez, & Mel Buer, Citations Needed / The Real News Network, “Biden and Congressional Dems partner with GOP and corporate media to discipline railroad workers” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers are being ground to dust. Who will help them?”  Permanent links below… Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music... Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song

Two years ago, the US was on the cusp of seeing its first national rail strike in decades. Then, President Joe Biden, at the urging of the rail companies, and with the help of both parties in Congress, preemptively blocked railroad workers from striking in December of 2022. Workers were forced to accept a contract that did not address the vast majority of issues that have been putting them, our communities, and our supply chain at hazard. How has this all shaped railroad workers' attitudes and approaches to the upcoming elections? In this urgent panel discussion, we pose this question directly to three veteran railroaders, and we have an honest discussion about how working people should act strategically within and outside the electoral system to advance their interests. Panelists include: Hugh Sawyer, a veteran locomotive engineer with 36 years of experience, a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 316, and a founding member and acting treasurer of Railroad Workers United; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 of experience, who has served as co-chair and organizer for Railroad Workers United, where he still edits RWU's quarterly newsletter “The Highball”; Ron Kaminkow, a recently retired former brakeman, conductor, and engineer who worked for many years in freight rail before working 20 years as a passenger engineer at Amtrak, a founding member of RWU and delegate in the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council. Additional links/info below…Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X pageMaximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers speak out after Congress and Biden block rail strike”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Why do railroad workers keep dying on the job?”Maximillian Alvarez & Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Labor militancy can't be stopped: Palestine and Labor Notes 2024”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “US freight workers say it's time to nationalize the railroads”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This was preventable”: Railroad workers explain how Wall St caused the East Palestine derailment"Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Corporate billionaires are wrecking the supply chain. Just look at the railroads”Adam Johnson, Nima Shirazi, Maximillian Alvarez, & Mel Buer, Citations Needed / The Real News Network, “Biden and Congressional Dems partner with GOP and corporate media to discipline railroad workers”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers are being ground to dust. Who will help them?” Permanent links below…Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music…Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongStudio Production: Max AlvarezPost-Production: Jules TaylorBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.

Nick Wurst, General Secretary of Railroad Workers United, talks about the rail industry in general, issues with the control held by six mega-corporations of all rail industry in the U. […] The post Wurst: 13 Rail Unions Need Cooperation, Not Competition appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In OVERTIME, we talk to Railroad Workers United about their new white paper on public rail ownership.✦ ABOUT ✦The Valley Labor Report is the only union talk radio show in Alabama, elevating struggles for justice and fairness on the job, educating folks about how they can do the same, and bringing relevant news to workers in Alabama and beyond.Our single largest source of revenue *is our listeners* so your support really matters and helps us stay on the air!Make a one time donation or become a monthly donor on our website or patreon:TVLR.FMPatreon.com/thevalleylaborreportVisit our official website for more info on the show, membership, our sponsors, merch, and more: https://www.tvlr.fmFollow TVLR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyLab...Follow TVLR on Twitter: @LaborReportersFollow Jacob on Twitter: @JacobM_ALFollow TVLR Co-Creator David Story on Twitter: @RadiclUnionist✦ CONTACT US ✦Our phone number is 844-899-TVLR (8857), call or text us live on air, or leave us a voicemail and we might play it during the show!✦ OUR ADVERTISERS KEEP US ON THE AIR! ✦Support them if you can.The attorneys at MAPLES, TUCKER, AND JACOB fight for working people. Let them represent you in your workplace injury claim. Mtandj.com; (855) 617-9333The MACHINISTS UNION represents workers in several industries including healthcare, the defense industry, woodworking, and more. iamaw44.org (256) 286-3704 / organize@iamaw44.orgDo you need good union laborers on your construction site, or do you want a union construction job? Reach out to the IRONWORKERS LOCAL 477. Ironworkers477.org  256-383-3334 (Jeb Miles) / local477@bellsouth.netThe NORTH ALABAMA DSA is looking for folks to work for a better North Alabama, fighting for liberty and justice for all. Contact / Join: DSANorthAlabama@gmail.comIBEW LOCAL 136 is a group of over 900 electricians and electrical workers providing our area with the finest workforce in the construction industry. You belong here. ibew136.org Contact: (205) 833-0909IFPTE - We are engineers, scientists, nonprofit employees, technicians, lawyers, and many other professions who have joined together to have a greater voice in our careers. With over 80,000 members spread across the U.S. and Canada, we invite you and your colleagues to consider the benefits of engaging in collective bargaining. IFPTE.org Contact: (202) 239-4880THE HUNTSVILLE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD is a union open to any and all working people. Call or email them today to begin organizing your workplace - wherever it is. On the Web: https://hsviww.org/ Contact: (256) 651-6707 / organize@hsviww.orgENERGY ALABAMA is accelerating Alabama's transition to sustainable energy. We are a nonprofit membership-based organization that has advocated for clean energy in Alabama since 2014. Our work is based on three pillars: education, advocacy, and technical assistance. Energy Alabama on the Web: https://alcse.org/ Contact: (256) 812-1431 / dtait@energyalabama.orgThe Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, poultry processing, dairy processing, cereal processing, soda bottlers, bakeries, health care, hotels, manufacturing, public sector workers like crossing guards, sanitation, and highway workers, warehouses, building services,  and distribution. Learn more at RWDSU.infoThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Learn more at AFGE.orgAre you looking for a better future, a career that can have you set for life, and to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself?   Consider a skilled trades apprenticeship with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Learn more at IUPAT.orgUnionly is a union-focused company created specifically to support organized labor. We believe that providing online payments should be simple, safe, and secure.  Visit https://unionly.io/ to learn more.Hometown Action envisions inclusive, revitalized, and sustainable communities built through multiracial working class organizing and leadership development at the local and state level to create opportunities for all people to thrive. Learn more at hometownaction.orgMembers of IBEW have some of the best wages and benefits in North Alabama. Find out more and join their team at ibew558.org ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We talk to Ryan Grim about his recent reporting for drop Site about the new investigations into the UAW. In OVERTIME, we talk to Railroad Workers United about their new white paper on public rail ownership. ✦ ABOUT ✦The Valley Labor Report is the only union talk radio show in Alabama, elevating struggles for justice and fairness on the job, educating folks about how they can do the same, and bringing relevant news to workers in Alabama and beyond.Our single largest source of revenue *is our listeners* so your support really matters and helps us stay on the air!Make a one time donation or become a monthly donor on our website or patreon:TVLR.FMPatreon.com/thevalleylaborreportVisit our official website for more info on the show, membership, our sponsors, merch, and more: https://www.tvlr.fmFollow TVLR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyLab...Follow TVLR on Twitter: @LaborReportersFollow Jacob on Twitter: @JacobM_ALFollow TVLR Co-Creator David Story on Twitter: @RadiclUnionist✦ CONTACT US ✦Our phone number is 844-899-TVLR (8857), call or text us live on air, or leave us a voicemail and we might play it during the show!✦ OUR ADVERTISERS KEEP US ON THE AIR! ✦Support them if you can.The attorneys at MAPLES, TUCKER, AND JACOB fight for working people. Let them represent you in your workplace injury claim. Mtandj.com; (855) 617-9333The MACHINISTS UNION represents workers in several industries including healthcare, the defense industry, woodworking, and more. iamaw44.org (256) 286-3704 / organize@iamaw44.orgDo you need good union laborers on your construction site, or do you want a union construction job? Reach out to the IRONWORKERS LOCAL 477. Ironworkers477.org  256-383-3334 (Jeb Miles) / local477@bellsouth.netThe NORTH ALABAMA DSA is looking for folks to work for a better North Alabama, fighting for liberty and justice for all. Contact / Join: DSANorthAlabama@gmail.comIBEW LOCAL 136 is a group of over 900 electricians and electrical workers providing our area with the finest workforce in the construction industry. You belong here. ibew136.org Contact: (205) 833-0909IFPTE - We are engineers, scientists, nonprofit employees, technicians, lawyers, and many other professions who have joined together to have a greater voice in our careers. With over 80,000 members spread across the U.S. and Canada, we invite you and your colleagues to consider the benefits of engaging in collective bargaining. IFPTE.org Contact: (202) 239-4880THE HUNTSVILLE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD is a union open to any and all working people. Call or email them today to begin organizing your workplace - wherever it is. On the Web: https://hsviww.org/ Contact: (256) 651-6707 / organize@hsviww.orgENERGY ALABAMA is accelerating Alabama's transition to sustainable energy. We are a nonprofit membership-based organization that has advocated for clean energy in Alabama since 2014. Our work is based on three pillars: education, advocacy, and technical assistance. Energy Alabama on the Web: https://alcse.org/ Contact: (256) 812-1431 / dtait@energyalabama.orgThe Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, poultry processing, dairy processing, cereal processing, soda bottlers, bakeries, health care, hotels, manufacturing, public sector workers like crossing guards, sanitation, and highway workers, warehouses, building services,  and distribution. Learn more at RWDSU.infoThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Learn more at AFGE.orgAre you looking for a better future, a career that can have you set for life, and to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself?   Consider a skilled trades apprenticeship with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Learn more at IUPAT.orgUnionly is a union-focused company created specifically to support organized labor. We believe that providing online payments should be simple, safe, and secure.  Visit https://unionly.io/ to learn more.Hometown Action envisions inclusive, revitalized, and sustainable communities built through multiracial working class organizing and leadership development at the local and state level to create opportunities for all people to thrive. Learn more at hometownaction.orgMembers of IBEW have some of the best wages and benefits in North Alabama. Find out more and join their team at ibew558.org ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Two months ago, from April 17-21, workers and labor organizers of all stripes convened in Chicago for the bi-annual Labor Notes conference, which overlapped with the Railroad Workers United convention. As the registration website rightly noted, “Labor Notes Conferences are the biggest gatherings of grassroots labor activists, union reformers, and all-around troublemakers out there." This is not a buttoned up convention of union officials; this is a real grassroots gathering of people on the frontlines of struggle, talking openly, honestly, and strategically about their struggles, victories, and defeats, about what we can all learn from one another as fellow workers and fighters, and about how we can all contribute to growing the labor movement as fellow members of that movement. In this on-the-ground episode, cohosted by Max and Mel Buer, we speak with attendees at the RWU convention, Labor Notes, and participants in the Labor for Palestine protest that took place outside of Labor Notes on April 19.Speakers include: Johnny Walker, a railroad worker and member of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers—Transportation Division (SMART-TD) Local 610 in Baltimore; Matt Weaver, who has worked on the railroad since 1994, is a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED-IBT) Local 2624, where he also serves as legislative director for his state; Marcie Pedraza, an electrician at Ford Chicago Assembly Plant and member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 551; Jacob Morrison, a member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), president of the North Alabama Labor Council, and cohost of The Valley Labor Report; Leticia Zavala, legendary farm labor organizer working with farm workers in Mexico and the United States, and a member of El Futuro Es Nuestro (It's Our Future), a farmworker caucus within the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC, AFL-CIO); Colin Smalley, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 777 in Chicago; Berenice Navarrete-Perez, vice president of the Association of Legislative Employees (ALE); Annie Shields, former journalist and union organizer with the NewsGuild of New York; and Axel Persson, a locomotive engineer in France and general secretary of the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) Railway Workers Union in Trappes.Additional links/info below…Labor Notes website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X pageRailroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageEl Futuro Es Nuestro – It's Our Future website and Facebook pageLabor for Palestine websiteThe Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and PatreonDuncan Freeman, The Chief Leader: "At Labor Notes conference, a sense of mission and solidarity"Axel Persson, ML Today, "CGT leader speaks to Labor Notes conference"Martha Grevatt, Workers World, "Militant pro-Palestine demonstration during Labor Notes conference takes the street"Permanent links below...Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music...Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme SongRead the transcript of this podcast here. Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez, Mel BuerPost-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

Two months ago, from April 17-21, workers and labor organizers of all stripes convened in Chicago for the bi-annual Labor Notes conference, which overlapped with the Railroad Workers United convention. As the registration website rightly noted, “Labor Notes Conferences are the biggest gatherings of grassroots labor activists, union reformers, and all-around troublemakers out there." This is not a buttoned up convention of union officials; this is a real grassroots gathering of people on the frontlines of struggle, talking openly, honestly, and strategically about their struggles, victories, and defeats, about what we can all learn from one another as fellow workers and fighters, and about how we can all contribute to growing the labor movement as fellow members of that movement. In this on-the-ground episode, cohosted by Max and Mel Buer, we speak with attendees at the RWU convention, Labor Notes, and participants in the Labor for Palestine protest that took place outside of Labor Notes on April 19.   Speakers include: Johnny Walker, a railroad worker and member of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers—Transportation Division (SMART-TD) Local 610 in Baltimore; Matt Weaver, who has worked on the railroad since 1994, is a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED-IBT) Local 2624, where he also serves as legislative director for his state; Marcie Pedraza, an electrician at Ford Chicago Assembly Plant and member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 551; Jacob Morrison, a member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), president of the North Alabama Labor Council, and cohost of The Valley Labor Report; Leticia Zavala, legendary farm labor organizer working with farm workers in Mexico and the United States, and a member of El Futuro Es Nuestro (It's Our Future), a farmworker caucus within the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC, AFL-CIO); Colin Smalley, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 777 in Chicago; Berenice Navarrete-Perez, vice president of the Association of Legislative Employees (ALE); Annie Shields, former journalist and union organizer with the NewsGuild of New York; and Axel Persson, a locomotive engineer in France and general secretary of the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) Railway Workers Union in Trappes. Additional links/info below… Labor Notes website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page El Futuro Es Nuestro – It's Our Future website and Facebook page Labor for Palestine website The Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Patreon Duncan Freeman, The Chief Leader: "At Labor Notes conference, a sense of mission and solidarity" Axel Persson, ML Today, "CGT leader speaks to Labor Notes conference" Martha Grevatt, Workers World, "Militant pro-Palestine demonstration during Labor Notes conference takes the street" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music... Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song

“Last Wednesday, a fellow rail worker was gravely injured on the job and lost his life,” a Feb. 6 email from Railroad Workers United reads. “Our brother Chris Wilson, who worked for Norfolk Southern, was critically injured in its Decatur rail yard Wednesday and died Thursday at Huntsville Hospital.” Another email from Feb. 9 reads, “On January 15th, a fellow rail worker was killed on the job in Ohio.” Then, on Feb. 17, another email: “On February 13th, a fellow rail worker was killed on the job in North Carolina. Brother Randall M. Howell, 41, of Allied Federation Lodge 563, died following a road crossing incident in Roanoke Rapids, N.C.” Why are railroad workers all over the country dying on the job? And what can be done to stop these needless deaths? We talk with four railroad workers and members of Railroad Workers United (RWU). Panelists include; Nick Wurst, a freight conductor in Massachusetts, legislative rep for his union local, and currently serving on the RWU international steering committee; Matt Weaver, a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED-IBT) for nearly 30 years, legislative director for his union in Ohio, and a founding member of RWU; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 years in the industry, and the editor of “The Highball,” RWU's quarterly newsletter: and Ross Grooters, RWU co-chair, member of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, also serving on the BLET-IBT Iowa state legislative board, with over 20 years in the industry.Additional links/info below…Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageRoss's Twitter pageMaximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “They Were Just Another East Palestine Family—Until Norfolk Southern Set Off a Bomb in Their Lives“Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally“Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “He Tried to Raise the Alarm about Railroad Safety. Then He Got Fired“Mike L, The Real News Network, “A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole“Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “US Freight Workers Say It's Time to Nationalize the Railroads“Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, “Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP“Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, ““This Was Preventable”: Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St Caused the East Palestine Derailment“Working People, “East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making (w/ Matt Weaver)“Kari Lydersen, In These Times, “The Case for Nationalizing the Railroads“Permanent links below…Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music…Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongJules Taylor, “John L. Handcox Remix”Jules Taylor, “Her Water”Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

"Last Wednesday, a fellow rail worker was gravely injured on the job and lost his life," a Feb 6 email from Railroad Workers United reads. "Our brother Chris Wilson, who worked for Norfolk Southern, was critically injured in its Decatur rail yard Wednesday and died Thursday at Huntsville Hospital." Another email from Feb. 9 reads, "On January 15th, a fellow rail worker was killed on the job in Ohio." Then, on Feb 17, another email: "On February 13th, a fellow rail worker was killed on the job in North Carolina. Brother Randall M. Howell, 41, of Allied Federation Lodge 563, died following a road crossing incident in Roanoke Rapids, N.C." Why are railroad workers all over the country dying on the job? And what can be done to stop these needless deaths? We talk with four railroad workers and members of Railroad Workers United (RWU).  Panelists include: Nick Wurst, a freight conductor in Massachusetts, legislative rep for his union local, and currently serving on the RWU international steering committee; Matt Weaver, a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters  (BMWED-IBT) for nearly 30 years, legislative director for his union in Ohio, and a founding member of RWU: Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 years in the industry, and the editor of "The Highball," RWU's quarterly newsletter: and Ross Grooters, RWU co-chair, member of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), also serving on the BLET-IBT Iowa state legislative board, with over 20 years in the industry.  Additional links/info below… Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Ross's Twitter page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "They Were Just Another East Palestine Family—Until Norfolk Southern Set Off a Bomb in Their Lives" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "He Tried to Raise the Alarm about Railroad Safety. Then He Got Fired" Mike L, The Real News Network, "A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "US Freight Workers Say It's Time to Nationalize the Railroads" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This Was Preventable”: Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St Caused the East Palestine Derailment" Working People, "East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making (w/ Matt Weaver)" Kari Lydersen, In These Times, "The Case for Nationalizing the Railroads" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music... Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox Remix" Jules Taylor, "Her Water" 

We conclude our end-of-the-year look back at major moments in the show with an interview from Railroad Workers United about East Palestine, a retrospective on the US Labor Party from the 90s, and a debate on child labor.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Usually we spend our time on this podcast talking about our for-profit healthcare system and why we need to make healthcare a public good, but in this episode we're taking a detour into another privatized American system that should be public: our railroads! Just like in US healthcare, private companies are falling asleep at the switch on managing our railroads, and just like in the healthcare system, the failure of big corporations is costing money and lives. Today, we're joined by Michael Paul Lindsey (who goes by Paul, or Railroad Refugee on Tiktok) a locomotive engineer for 17 years. Paul is a Steering Committee member of Railroad Workers United, a huge inter-union labor caucus of railroad workers from across the country that is fighting both for Medicare for All and for making our country's railroads public. We're going to talk about the parallels between these two fights, why railroad workers support Medicare for All, and why we think everyone who's passionate about Medicare for All should also get excited about establishing public railways in this country! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrNWHItT6iw Show Notes RWU has been a supporter of Medicare for All for some time because railroad workers have so much trouble keeping decent healthcare while the rail companies try to gut benefits and use healthcare as a bargaining tactic against workers. Like other corporations, railroads use the increasing cost of healthcare benefits to cut into the other pay and benefits earned by railroad workers. They consistently shift more of the cost onto the workers, while claiming the benefits are so rich they can't also provide workers with paid sick time or better time off benefits. Railroad workers, like so many other Americans, are locked into their jobs because they need the health insurance. In countries with a national health plan, workers have the basic economic freedom to leave their job if they don't like it, without worrying about healthcare. Those workers have better negotiating power because the employer can't hold healthcare over their heads. But in the U.S. railroad companies - and most large corporations - have more control over their employees because their families depend on employer-provided healthcare. Most Americans aren't very aware of railroads and commercial rail. But commercial rail is integral to the entire modern economy. A recent example in California illustrates rail's reach into our economy: Union Pacific wasn't delivering sufficient amounts of grain to Foster Farms, one of the largest chicken and turkey producers in the country. Foster Farms was days away from having to slaughter millions of chickens. Union Pacific blamed congestion, and shortages of locomotives and workers for the delays, while in fact they had cut their own resources relentlessly to buyback stock shares. Only after the Feds ordered Union Pacific to increase grain shipments was the problem resolved. So while many other industries depend on rail for their very existence, the railroad companies' focus on stock buybacks reduces their capacity to deliver goods, potentially wiping out entire industries. , reducing the capacity of railroads to deliver goods. Ultimately, taxpayers make up the difference because the cargo has to be delivered by trucks on the publicly subsidized highway system. It's important to know more about an industry with so much control over the economy. For most of American history railroads have been privately owned. However when there wasn't enough capacity to support the war effort during the First World War, the U.S. temporarily nationalized the railroads, investing heavily in upgrades at taxpayers' expense. That was all returned to private ownership after the war. Since the 1950s and 1960s railroads began to merge and consolidate, at the same time the U.S. government began investing in the competition, with subsidized interstate highways and airports.

The train derailment disaster in East Palestine, Ohio catapulted the degraded condition of the US's freight rail network into national consciousness. But workers have been sounding the alarm for years. Long hours, short staffs, poor sick leave, and dangerously extended trains have raised the risks inherent in railroad operations for workers and the public in order to fatten the profit margins of corporate rail carriers. While the Department of Transportation has called for stricter regulation in the wake of East Palestine and other recent disasters, rank-and-file workers say it's not enough. The problem is not simply one of inadequate regulation, but the power of private, profit-driven interests to shape what is ultimately public infrastructure. Thus comes the call to nationalize the railroads. But how might this be accomplished, and how effectively can it solve the problems plaguing the rail system today? Journalist and professor Kari Lyderson and former Railroad Workers United General Secretary Ron Kaminkow join TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez to discuss current issues in the US rail system, and the potential solutions nationalization could offer.Kari Lyderson is a Chicago-based journalist, author and assistant professor at Northwestern University, where she leads the investigative specialization at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. She is the author of numerous books, including Mayor 1%: Rahm Emanuel and the Rise of Chicago's 99% and Closing the Cloud Factories: Lessons from the Fight to Shut Down Chicago's Coal Plants. Until recently, Ron Kaminow served as General Secretary of Railroad Workers United. Prior to hiring out as a brakeman with Conrail in 1996, he served as President of AFSCME Local 634 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2005, Kaminkow helped to found Railroad Operating Crafts United (ROCU), an RWU predecessor. A former brakeman, conductor, and engineer for Conrail and later NS in Chicago, he formerly worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee and Chicago. He currently is working as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, where he is the Vice President of BLET Local 51.Studio Production: David HebdenPost-Production: Adam ColeyHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

Bryan Mack is a second-generation railroad worker from Florence, South Carolina, with a Masters in Music Performance. Both Bryan and his father worked for CSX Transportation, each hiring out at times when there were statistically few Black employees or employees of color working on the railroads. For 17 years, Bryan has worked as a conductor for CSX; in that time, he has seen and experienced firsthand the worsening conditions as the industry has been taken over by greedy executives and upper-level managers hellbent on cutting costs and maximizing profits for their shareholders at the expense of workers, customers, and the public at large. As part of our continuing coverage of the crisis on the nation's railroad system, we talk with Bryan about his life and work on the railroads, and about the good, bad, and ugly parts of the industry that outsiders may not see, including the discriminatory treatment that Bryan and other workers of color have faced on the job—up to CSX's recent decision to fire him under dubious circumstances.   Additional links/info below... US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal”  Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Eric Arnesen, Harvard University Press, Brotherhoods of Color: Black Railroad Workers and the Struggle for Equality Mike L., The Real News Network, "A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "What Union Pacific and the Media Aren't Telling You About the Baker, CA, Train Derailment" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "Corporate Billionaires Are Wrecking the Supply Chain. Just Look at the Railroads" Working People, "Rail Workers of the World, Unite! (w/ Ross Grooters, Cat Cray, Clayton Clive, & Matthieu Bolle-Reddat)" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

In this episode, we take a deep look at the Norfolk Southern train derailment in Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3rd, and how this incident is connected to the corporate management of the railways– a topic that we dove into, in depth, in our last episode, Off The Rails. The United States averages 1,700 train derailments per year. Since the disaster in East Palestine, there have been dozens more derailments to date. Norfolk Southern averages approximately 164 derailments and three hazardous material releases per year. This Ohio disaster was only exceptional–only widely reported – because of the incredibly dramatic, visceral and toxic nature of the event - a two-mile-long “bomb train” of 141 cars, holding up to 32,000 gallons each of highly flammable toxic chemicals. In addition to the spill, an out-of-control fire raged for days afterwards, sending the cargo up into a giant mushroom cloud above a small Ohio town of some 5,000 residents. As East Palestine residents continue their battles with toxicity-related illnesses-- headaches, nausea, rashes, and chemical pneumonia, we look at the response from the Biden Administration, the Transportation Secretary, former President Trump, and compare these responses to the donations that both parties have received directly from Norfolk Southern. On President's Day, the Proud Boys handed out water to Ohio victims whose water was poisoned. Trump promised Palestine residents they would not be forgotten. And Biden went to Ukraine to sell more weapons. It is in this upside-down world, we feel compelled to examine how Democratic failures to fight for the working-class continually create a vacuum and an opening for fascism. And finally, we talk about what Railroad Workers United is still demanding after all these months- nationalization of the railroads. Perhaps this could be a first step on the path toward socialism. Links Chris Hedges: The Age of Social Murder - scheerpost.com Music - The Revolutionary Communist Progressive Labor Party Support Public Ownership of the Railroads Pete Plays IDENTITY POLITICS While Failing at His Job  The Ohio Train Disaster: Corporate Greed & Regulatory Failure | The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast Norfolk Southern BAILS on Town Hall in East Palestine Corporate Greed and Deregulation Fuel Threat of More Bomb Trains as East Palestine Demands Answers | Democracy Now!  Dems STRUGGLE to Defend Biden as Trump Plans East Palestine Visit - w/ Punch Up Pod Outraged Ohio residents erupt at town hall: 'Where's Pete Buttigieg?' East Palestine derailment aftermath: How worried should people be?  A History of Norfolk Southern Train Crash Reports - Columbus Underground  Spilled drink: train derails beside Montana river, tipping out cases of beer Raymond, Minnesota, train derailment: Cars carrying ethanol rupture and ignite. Now crews assess 3 more cars with highly flammable material | CNN Union Pacific reopens Cima Subdivision after derailment of runaway iron ore train Train derails in rural North Dakota and spills chemicals | AP News

This is the full 2-26-2023 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. On the latest episode of Labor Express Radio, it seems the pandemic period strike wave continues - 2022 saw a 50% increase in strike activity. And Railroad Workers United speaking out on the corporate greed behind the East Palestine Ohio train derailment. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only labor news and current affairs radio program. News for working people, by working people. Labor Express Radio airs every Sunday at 8:00 PM on WLPN in Chicago, 105.5 FM. For more information, see our Facebook page... laborexpress.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio Labor Express is a member of the Labor Radio / Podcast Network, Working People's Voices – Broadcasting Worldwide 24 Hours A Day. laborradionetwork.org #laborradionetwork #LaborRadioPod #1u #UnionStrong

"Nationalize" is word of the week. We look at the call of Railroad Workers United to nationalize US railroads. Interview with Rep Mary Caferro on the MT Legislature. Editorial by Sarah McClain. We also look at: Nordstream Pipelines, Twitter Files, the Warrior Met strike ending and COVID news. With co-hosts Linda Gillison, Soundman Jim and Mark.

Read the transcript of this podcast and read the show notes: From unions in the United States fighting to save our supply chain from the destruction wrought by corporate tycoons, Wall Street vampires, and bought-off politicians, to the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) leading the fight against austerity politics and ruling-class union busting in the United Kingdom, to rail workers with the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in France joining their compatriots in the streets in a general strike against President Emmanuel Macron's neoliberal attack on the country's beloved pension system, rail workers around the world are fighting different battles in the same war: the class war. In this special international episode of Working People, we bring together a panel of rail workers from the US, UK, and France to talk about what they are up against, what the struggle looks like in their corners of the world, and what we can all do to connect those struggles and build international worker solidarity. Panelists include: Ross Grooters of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and Railroad Workers United in the US; Cat Cray and Clayton Clive of the RMT in the UK; Matthieu Bolle-Reddat of the CGT Cheminots Versailles in France.Post-Production: Jules Taylor Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

Doug speaks with Jamie Webster of BCG about western Europe's energy situation. Then Kari Lydersen, author of a recent In These Times article, and Ron Kaminkow, locomotive engineer and organizer with Railroad Workers United, talk about the miseries of the industry and why it should be nationalized.Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global. Find the archive here: https://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From unions in the United States fighting to save our supply chain from the destruction wrought by corporate tycoons, Wall Street vampires, and bought-off politicians, to the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) leading the fight against austerity politics and ruling-class union busting in the United Kingdom, to rail workers with the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in France joining their compatriots in the streets in a general strike against President Emmanuel Macron's neoliberal attack on the country's beloved pension system, rail workers around the world are fighting different battles in the same war: the class war. In this special international episode, we bring together a panel of rail workers from the US, UK, and France to talk about what they are up against, what the struggle looks like in their corners of the world, and what we can all do to connect those struggles and build international worker solidarity. Panelists include: Ross Grooters of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and Railroad Workers United in the US; Cat Cray and Clayton Clive of the RMT in the UK; Matthieu Bolle-Reddat of the CGT Cheminots Versailles in France.  Additional links/info below... Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Ross's Twitter page Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This Was Preventable”: Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St Caused the East Palestine Derailment" Working People, "East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making (w/ Matt Weaver)" Mel Buer, The Nation, "The Ohio Derailment Catastrophe Is a Case Study in Disaster Capitalism" Kari Lydersen, In These Times, "The Case for Nationalizing the Railroads" RMT Union National Dispute Fund Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "Corporate Billionaires Are Wrecking the Supply Chain. Just Look at the Railroads" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "The Supreme Court Is About to Drag Workers' Rights Back by Centuries" RMT Union website, Facebook page, and Twitter page, Clayton's Twitter page Manchester South RMT Twitter page Cat's Twitter page Working People, "RMT Strike (w/ Mel Mullings, Clayton Clive, Cat Cray, & Gaz Jackson)" Rupert Pickering, Tribune, "Defend the RMT" Karl Hansen, Jacobin, "Britain's Rail Workers Are Poised to Strike Against Austerity" Venda Premkumar, Maia Khan, & Rita Mahli, Tribune, "Why We're On Strike" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "New Anti-Union Law in UK Takes Aim at Strike Wave" General Confederation of Labour website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "French Workers STRIKE Against Neoliberal Pension Reforms" Tomek Skomski & Marion Beauvalet, Tribune, "Workers Against Macron" Working People, "The French General Strike (2019-2020)" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

Two reports focusing on the recent train derailments: Jeff Kurtz of Railroad Workers United talks with the We Rise Fighting podcast about the roots of the problem, and then on the Working People podcast, rail worker Matt Weaver says East Palestine was “A Hell of Wall Street's Making.” Then, “Teasing the tech,” things teachers should know about the impact of education technologies; that's from the EdVoices podcast, put out by Education International, the voice of teachers and other education employees across the globe. Next, why not riot? The Green and Red podcast talks with Ben Case, author of a provocative new book, “Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence,” which challenges the strategy of non-violent and often non-aggressive protest and makes a case that riots are another tactic to be used by the Left.  Our final segment today is from the SAG-AFTRA Podcast, which toured the show floors at the CES tech show last month and brings us a closer look at AI and the future of film, the latest trends and innovations that might affect the entertainment industry in the years ahead. In a related note, the Screen Actors Guild Awards are tomorrow night and you can check out actor and labor podcaster Harold Phillips' labor picks on today's Labor Goes to the Movies podcast. Please help us build sonic solidarity by clicking on the share button below. Highlights from labor radio and podcast shows around the country, part of the national Labor Radio Podcast Network of shows focusing on working people's issues and concerns. #LaborRadioPod @AFLCIO @WorkingPod @PodcastGreenRed sagaftra Edited by Patrick Dixon and Mel Smith, produced by Chris Garlock; social media guru Mr. Harold Phillips.

In this episode we talk with my friend Ron Kaminkow, founding member of Railroad Workers United (www.railroadworkersunited.org) about just what the he11 has happened with North American Railroad Companies in the past five years and what effect it has had on railroad workers, shippers, and more importantly, the general public. We also discuss how the business policy known as "precision scheduled railroading" has given us a glimpse of a very deranged philosophy regarding American business practices and what this could possibly mean for other areas of the American economy.Check out www.railroadworkersunited.org for updates and more information.

Kari Lydersen, author of this In These Times article, and Ron Kaminkow, locomotive engineer and general secretary of Railroad Workers United, talk about the miseries of the industry and why it should be naitonalized. The post Fundraising special: nationalize the railroads, they suck! appeared first on KPFA.

Fears of a wider health and environmental disaster are growing, after a 150-car freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed and a so-called controlled burn released toxic chemicals last week in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents reported seeing a fireball and mushroom cloud of smoke fill the skyline. Data released by the Environmental Protection Agency shows the train contained more toxic and carcinogenic chemicals than initially reported, including phosgene, a poisonous gas that has been used as a chemical weapon in war. Officials lifted an evacuation order for residents last Wednesday, saying the air and water were safe, but residents have reported sore throats, burning eyes, and respiratory problems, and wildlife has been found dead. Meanwhile, scrutiny has turned onto Norfolk Southern, which in recent years has challenged regulatory laws aimed at making the rail industry safer and made mass cuts to railroad staffing while spending billions on stock buybacks and executive compensation. We get an update from Emily Wright, a community organizer based near the site of the derailment; Ross Grooters, a locomotive engineer and co-chair of Railroad Workers United; and Julia Rock, an investigative reporter with The Lever. “Bomb Train” in Ohio Sickens Residents: Railroad Cutbacks, Corporate Greed Led to Toxic Disaster - YouTube --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/seth-martin0/message

It's been nearly two weeks since the catastrophic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in northeast Ohio thrust the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area into a non-stop waking nightmare. It will take weeks, months, if not years to appraise the damage of this train derailment on the population, on the rail workers and first responders, and on the environment, but while corporate spokespeople and many in the media try to paint this tragedy as some freak accident, we know better... We know better because we have been listening to railroad workers. In this urgent mini-cast, we discuss the nightmare in East Palestine with Matt Weaver, who has worked on the railroad since 1994, is a member of BMWED-IBT 2624, and was recently chosen to serve as legislative director for his state.  Additional links/info below... Matt's Twitter page Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Mel Buer, The Nation, "The Ohio Derailment Catastrophe Is a Case Study in Disaster Capitalism" Watch Matt on The Problem with Jon Stewart: "The Ohio Train Disaster: Corporate Greed & Regulatory Failure" Michael Kaplan, CBS News, "Excess Size Caused Train to Break Down in Days Before It Derailed in Ohio, Employees Say" Mass for Shut Ins podcast, "037 - Workin' on the Railroad with Matt Weaver and Maximillian Alvarez" Working People, "Jay"  Working People, "Countdown to Midnight (w/ Jay & Joe)" Working People, "Where Do Railroad Workers Go from Here? (w/ Jay, Marilee Taylor, John Tormey, & Matt Parker)" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

Broadcast on February 16, 2022 Hosted by Chris Garlock Live report from the Teamsters 639 picket line against Keolis Transit in Prince William County. Veteran railroader Fritz Edler says rail workers have been warning of the dangers of accidents like the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and why it matters to us all. Edler is a Special Rep for Railroad Workers United, and former local and regional officer of BLET-IBT. Produced by Chris Garlock; engineered by Michael Nassella and Kahlia Chapman. @wpfwdc @aflcio #1u #unions #laborradiopod @SafeTrainsNow @railroadworkers @KaminkowRon @theCP31 @KylePense @ChristensonGabe @JonahFurman @jfranz88 @LabourStartCanE @Dulabr @Marc_Perrone @JBarab @LN4S

Hello from an ongoing ecological disaster! Our guest this week is Nick Wurst, a freight-rail conductor and a member of the SMART-TD union, who joined Tammy and Jay after an overnight shift. Nick is also a socialist and a member-organizer with Railroad Workers United, a cross-union solidarity organization. He was featured in Tammy's recent New Yorker piece about the state of union power in the U.S. On Friday, February 3, a train carrying volatile chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, releasing dangerous fumes and forcing the town to evacuate. State and federal authorities encouraged residents to return to their homes after a “successful” controlled release of the substances, but many are skeptical that the air is safe to breathe, given reports of animals dying en masse, highly acidic rain, and the post-industrial area's baseline pollution levels. Nick explains how corporate avarice—encapsulated in the ideology of “precision scheduled railroading”—and government complicity led to this dangerous derailment. He tells Jay and Tammy how railroad companies successfully lobbied against common-sense safety regulations, and what feels different about this disaster, despite rising rates of train derailment. Nick connects the accident in Ohio to last year's threatened rail strike, a fight which was widely mischaracterized and eventually squashed by Biden and a Democratic Congress. How drastically has precision scheduled railroading changed conditions on the railroads? What can be done to rein in this greedy industry and the existential dangers it poses to us all?  Thanks for listening. Subscribe on Substack or Patreon to join our Discord and participate in an upcoming movie night with Jay, Tammy, and fellow listeners, and to vote on the movie pick! As always, you can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and stay in touch via email at timetosaygoodbyepod@gmail.com.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Streamed live on Dec 28, 2022.   We'll be speaking with the leadership council of Railroad Workers United & what we can expect going forward in lieu of the recent anti-labor legislation passed by President Biden.   Check out our Patreon for more! ☀️ patreon.com/JENerationalChange ☀️ WEBSITE: jenerationalchange.com ☀️ TWITTER: @JENChangeFL  ☀️ INSTAGRAM: @JENerationalChange  ☀️ FACEBOOK: @Jen Perelman

We talk to railroader Matt Weaver about the fallout, next steps, and lessons learned from the rail dispute. ✦ ABOUT ✦The Valley Labor Report is the only union talk radio show in Alabama, elevating struggles for justice and fairness on the job, educating folks about how they can do the same, and bringing relevant news to workers in Alabama and beyond.Our single largest source of revenue *is our listeners* so your support really matters and helps us stay on the air!Make a one time donation or become a monthly donor on our website or patreon:TVLR.FMPatreon.com/thevalleylaborreportVisit our official website for more info on the show, membership, our sponsors, merch, and more: https://www.tvlr.fmFollow TVLR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyLab...Follow TVLR on Twitter: @LaborReportersFollow Jacob on Twitter: @JacobM_ALFollow TVLR Co-Creator David Story on Twitter: @RadiclUnionist✦ CONTACT US ✦Our phone number is 844-899-TVLR (8857), call or text us live on air, or leave us a voicemail and we might play it during the show!✦ OUR ADVERTISERS KEEP US ON THE AIR! ✦Support them if you can.The attorneys at MAPLES, TUCKER, AND JACOB fight for working people. Let them represent you in your workplace injury claim. Mtandj.com; (855) 617-9333The MACHINISTS UNION represents workers in several industries including healthcare, the defense industry, woodworking, and more. iamaw44.org (256) 286-3704 / organize@iamaw44.orgDo you need good union laborers on your construction site, or do you want a union construction job? Reach out to the IRONWORKERS LOCAL 477. Ironworkers477.org  256-383-3334 (Jeb Miles) / local477@bellsouth.netThe NORTH ALABAMA DSA is looking for folks to work for a better North Alabama, fighting for liberty and justice for all. Contact / Join: DSANorthAlabama@gmail.comIBEW LOCAL 136 is a group of over 900 electricians and electrical workers providing our area with the finest workforce in the construction industry. You belong here. ibew136.org Contact: (205) 833-0909IFPTE - We are engineers, scientists, nonprofit employees, technicians, lawyers, and many other professions who have joined together to have a greater voice in our careers. With over 80,000 members spread across the U.S. and Canada, we invite you and your colleagues to consider the benefits of engaging in collective bargaining. IFPTE.org Contact: (202) 239-4880THE HUNTSVILLE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD is a union open to any and all working people. Call or email them today to begin organizing your workplace - wherever it is. On the Web: https://hsviww.org/ Contact: (256) 651-6707 / organize@hsviww.orgENERGY ALABAMA is accelerating Alabama's transition to sustainable energy. We are a nonprofit membership-based organization that has advocated for clean energy in Alabama since 2014. Our work is based on three pillars: education, advocacy, and technical assistance. Energy Alabama on the Web: https://alcse.org/ Contact: (256) 812-1431 / dtait@energyalabama.orgThe Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, poultry processing, dairy processing, cereal processing, soda bottlers, bakeries, health care, hotels, manufacturing, public sector workers like crossing guards, sanitation, and highway workers, warehouses, building services,  and distribution. Learn more at RWDSU.infoThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Learn more at AFGE.orgAre you looking for a better future, a career that can have you set for life, and to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself?   Consider a skilled trades apprenticeship with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Learn more at IUPAT.orgUnionly is a union-focused company created specifically to support organized labor. We believe that providing online payments should be simple, safe, and secure.  Visit https://unionly.io/ to learn more. Hometown Action envisions inclusive, revitalized, and sustainable communities built through multiracial working class organizing and leadership development at the local and state level to create opportunities for all people to thrive. Learn more at hometownaction.orgMembers of IBEW have some of the best wages and benefits in North Alabama. Find out more and join their team at ibew558.org ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Several rail unions and Railroad Workers United called for solidarity event on Tuesday Dec. 14 to call attention to the dissatisfaction of a majority of their members with the labor agreement imposed on the nation's freight industry workers, which did not include a key demand- at least seven paid sick days. The Industrial Workers of the World organized a rally at the Amtrak Station in Schenectady. Greg Giorgio of the IWW talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Air Date 12/13/2022 Today, we take a look at the labor dispute within our freight rail industry as well as other unionization fights that corporations are vehemently opposing while the Democrats and Biden, the "most pro-labor president ever" are doing precious little to help. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Railroaded - Bad Faith - Air Date 12-1-22 Union train engineer Ross Grooters returns to the podcast along with The Real News' Maximilian Alvarez, and Bad Faith newbie and co-host of Well There's Your Problem Justin Roczniak. Ch. 2: The People's Guide To Power - The Power Of Labor - The Brain Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-23-22 Labor unions represent workers in conversations with their employers. Can a political party represent workers in our government? Sochie Nnaemeka talks about some of the policies and politics behind the party's agenda. Ch. 3: Biden, Congressional Dems Partner with GOP, Media to Discipline Rail Labor - Citations Needed - Air Date 11-30-22 We are joined by Real News' Mel Buer and Max Alvarez to discuss the media campaign to obscure Biden and Congressional Dems selling out rail workers. Ch. 4: Railroaded Part 2 - Bad Faith - Air Date 12-1-22 Union train engineer Ross Grooters returns to the podcast along with The Real News' Maximilian Alvarez, and Bad Faith newbie and co-host of Well There's Your Problem Justin Roczniak. Ch. 5: John Logan on Amazon & Starbucks Organizing - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-7-22 With tens of thousands of workers walking out around the country, the notion that this is somehow not meaningful should be hard to maintain. Ch. 6: Instability - Capitalism's Constant - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 12-1-22 Prof. Wolff presents updates on the Twitter-Musk scandals, critique of profit as a return on risk, and mass European union-led strikes against inflation. Ch. 7: How to show solidarity with railroad workers - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 11-16-22 In a special panel co-hosted by The Real News and Haymarket Books, Railroad Workers United members speak about their struggle, the situation on the rails, and how you can get involved in efforts to support them. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Wall Street is holding the supply chain hostage to stop a railroad workers' strike - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 9-15-22 Maximilian Alvarez interviews Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who's worked on the railroads for 19 years. Parker also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the hot mess of the fight for labor rights MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions): Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world) Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Labor journalist and author Max Alvarez (@maximillian_alv) takes a break from hosting the essential podcast Working People (@WorkingPod) and reporting for Real News Network to talk about the recent labor issues on America's freight railroads. Also joining us is Matt Weaver, a maintenance of way crew member based in Toledo working for freight giant CSX. He's active with BMWED-IBT 2624, a Teamsters-affiliated union for whom he has recently been chosen to serve as legislative director for his state. He has worked on the railroad since 1994.  If you're interested in learning more or finding out what you can do to help, Matt asks that you visit the Railroad Workers United online or locally. Max's recent book The Work of Living: Working People Talk about Their Lives and the Year the World Broke is also highly recommended. Be sure to check it out. Please support Mass for Shut-ins, an independent and ad-free podcast, via Patreon. Contact me via twitter (@edburmila).  Thanks: Matt and Maximillian, the bands that contribute music (IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, Question Cathy, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.

Read the transcript of this podcast and read the show notes: After a 3-year saga of stalled contract negotiations between the country's freight rail carriers and the 12 unions representing over 100,000 railroad workers, "pro-union" President Biden and Congress last week "averted" a national rail shutdown by overriding the democratic will of rail workers and forcing a contract down their throats. So, what happens now? We convene a special all-railroader panel to break down the events of the last week and to discuss where railroad workers and the labor movement go from here.Panelists include: Jay, a qualified conductor who was licensed to operate locomotives at 19 years old, and who became a qualified train dispatcher before he was 23; Marilee Taylor, who worked on the railroads for over 30 years and retired earlier this year from her post as an engineer for BNSF Railway, but is still an active member of Railroad Workers United; John Tormey, a writer and BWMED-IBT member who works as a track laborer for the commuter rail in Massachusetts; and Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who's worked on the railroads for 19 years and also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

After a 3-year saga of stalled contract negotiations between the country's freight rail carriers and the 12 unions representing over 100,000 railroad workers, "pro-union" President Biden and Congress last week "averted" a national rail shutdown by overriding the democratic will of rail workers and forcing a contract down their throats. So, what happens now? We convene a special all-railroader panel to break down the events of the last week and to discuss where railroad workers and the labor movement go from here.  Panelists include: Jay, a qualified conductor who was licensed to operate locomotives at 19 years old, and who became a qualified train dispatcher before he was 23; Marilee Taylor, who worked on the railroads for over 30 years and retired earlier this year from her post as an engineer for BNSF Railway, but is still an active member of Railroad Workers United; John Tormey, a writer and BWMED-IBT member who works as a track laborer for the commuter rail in Massachusetts; and Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who's worked on the railroads for 19 years and also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.  Additional links/info below... Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page John's Twitter page Matt's Twitter page Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Emily Cochrane, The New York Times, "Biden Signs Legislation to Avert Nationwide Rail Strike" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "EXCLUSIVE: Rail Worker SLAMS Biden's "Tyrannical" Move Blocking Strike" Citations Needed, "News Brief: Biden, Congressional Dems Partner with GOP, Media to Discipline Rail Labor" Bad Faith, "Joe Biden ABANDONS Rail Workers" Useful Idiots, "‘Union Joe' Biden Sells Out Rail Workers" John Tormey, The Baffler, "Known Assailants"  Working People, "Jay"  Working People, "Countdown to Midnight (w/ Jay & Joe)" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Wall Street is Holding the Supply Chain Hostage to Stop a Railroad Workers' Strike"  Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Solidarity with Railroad Workers" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "Corporate Billionaires Are Wrecking the Supply Chain. Just Look at the Railroads" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

Will talks to Ross Grooters, co-chair of Railroad Workers United, Deven Mantz of BMWED Teamsters, and Jonah Furman of Labor Notes about the tentative agreement being forced on railroad workers, the demands of the unions, and where organizing goes from here. Visit www.railroadworkersunited.com to support the union.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Maximillian Alvarez, Editor-in-Chief of the Real News Network, joins the show alongside Marilee Taylor and Jeff Kurtz of Railroad Workers United to discuss the recent struggle between railroad workers and rail carriers over paid sick leave. President Joe Biden and Congress recently struck down a rail workers strike over the issue. In this conversation we'll hear from Marilee and Jeff about the plight of the workers and their anger over what has transpired over the last few days with President Biden and Congress. Maximillian will give context to how this situation arose as a journalist that has been covering this developing issue since January 2022. Among the topics covered: - Comparing the events happening under Biden to President Ronald Reagan's shutting down of the air traffic controllers strike in 1981 - A potential mass exodus of railroad workers from their profession - Pay isn't the only issue that exists for workers; sick leave and quality-of-life are issues too - The ruling class and the alienation and isolation of rail workers - Will this lead to a depoliticization of rail workers that could Democrats? - Ted Cruz, Joshua Hawley, and Marco Rubio voting with Bernie Sanders on sick leave - The corporate media's coverage of the railroad workers vs. the rail carriers in recent days - Striking and democratic rights - The oligopoly - Biden's promise to be the most "pro-union President" - Does their need to be a workers party? The bankruptcy of the two party system and the need for a strong labor movement in the U.S. - Peter Buttigieg and the Department of Transporation - Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer - Is there a possibility of wildcat strikes? - Marilee argues that this is a backstabbing betrayal against working people and that they're not going to take this lying down; Marilee decries what she calls the "total treachery of the Democratic Party" - The personalities, inner lives, hopes, and dreams of rail workers and how we are often not given that fully human portrayal of them in media - What do rail workers do next? - The rail bosses, supply chains, and damage to the economy - And much, much more

This is the full 11-13-2022 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. On the latest episode of Labor Express Radio, the Chicago Teachers Union holds a Dia de los Muertos press conference to highlight CPS's broken promises on bilingual ed in Chicago's public schools and, is a railroad strike still likely? Members of Railroad Workers United discuss the ongoing vote on the rail worker's tentative agreement and its rejection by several of the 12 rail worker's unions. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only labor news and current affairs radio program. News for working people, by working people. Labor Express Radio airs every Sunday at 8:00 PM on WLPN in Chicago, 105.5 FM. For more information, see our Facebook page... laborexpress.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio Labor Express is a member of the Labor Radio / Podcast Network, Working People's Voices – Broadcasting Worldwide 24 Hours A Day. laborradionetwork.org #laborradionetwork #LaborRadioPod #1u #UnionStrong

"Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Dec. 3 WASHINGTON -- Railroad Workers United expressed anger at both major parties of the United States on Friday. U.S. President Joe Biden signed a measure earlier Friday implementing a labor agreement between freight rail carriers and unionized workers that" "START AD- #TheMummichogblogOfMalta Amazon Top and Flash Deals(Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://amzn.to/3CqsdJH Compare all the top travel sites in just one search to find the best hotel deals at HotelsCombined - awarded world's best hotel price comparison site. (Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://www.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=20558 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."""" #Jesus #Catholic. Smooth Radio Malta is Malta's number one digital radio station, playing Your Relaxing Favourites - Smooth provides a ‘clutter free' mix, appealing to a core 35-59 audience offering soft adult contemporary classics. We operate a playlist of popular tracks which is updated on a regular basis. https://smooth.com.mt/listen/ Follow on Telegram: https://t.me/themummichogblogdotcom Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/themummichogblogofmalta Blogspot: https://themummichogblogofmalta.blogspot.com/ END AD" " his administration brokered this fall. (US-Biden-Rail deal) - - - - LIMA -- Peruvian President Pedro Castillo on Friday said ""nothing will prevent"" him from serving his full term in office, a day after Peru's Congress voted to start impeachment proceedings against him for alleged ""moral incompetence."" Castillo voiced confidence that the ""democratic sectors"" of public authority and the social forces ""will be on the side of institutionality and governability."" (Peru-President-Impeachment) - - - - HARARE -- Zimbabwe will not shut down its main hydropower plant but cut generation by half after dam water levels have receded, Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda said Friday. ""Kariba Power Station will not shut down completely, rather, it will continue to generate but at a reduced capacity of up to 300 MW daily average pending a review of the water situation at the dam in January 2023,"" Soda said. (Zimbabwe-Hydropower Plant) - - - - KAMPALA -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Friday issued new guidelines to prevent the flaring up of COVID-19 cases in the country. All Ugandans above 12 years old must be vaccinated twice, and get a boost COVID-19 vaccine every six months, said the president in a national address on health matters. (Uganda-COVID-19) https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/273140159/xinhua-world--summary-at-1530-gmt-dec-3 "

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine: We begin with a Railroad Workers United member talking about the Railroad labor fight. Then, historian Kathy Sheehan tells us about the annual Greens Show at the Hart Cluett House Later on, H Bosh Jr talks with Tatum Hughs, a nurse with a military background. After that, we catch up with a few artists as they install their work for Troy Glow. Finally, Oakwood Community Center will join us to talk about this weekend's holiday event taking place.

The railroad workers fight for better benefits and working conditions has prompted President Biden to urge Congress to make the strike illegal and force the workers to accept a contract they have largely rejected. Congress is being urged to at least add sick time to the deal but so far Congress has resisted even that. Nick Hurst, a member of Railroad Workers United from Massachusetts explains the workers' position, including the call for public ownership of the railroads due to its vital nature. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Railroad Workers United organizer and labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein on Biden’s push to block a rail strike; Academic workers in the University of California system on why they are part of the largest higher education strike in U.S. history; An update on LUMA Energy and Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts. Get Democracy Now! delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Daily Digest: democracynow.org/subscribe

Hour 3 - Good Wednesday morning! Here's what Nick Reed covers: Facebook decided to kick us off live because we were talking about China. For the second straight year, the Biden White House's holiday display did not include a stocking for first son Hunter Biden's out-of-wedlock daughter. Union leadership blasted Biden after he pressed Congress to force the organized labor groups to accept a tentative agreement in order to avert a strike. Railroad Workers United issued a press release quoting Treasurer Hugh Sawyer saying "Joe Biden blew it."

Tuberville is lecturing Alabamians again. A republican state senator wants your child to go without healthcare. We talk to a railroader about the strike being back on the table.✦ ABOUT ✦The Valley Labor Report is the only union talk radio show in Alabama, elevating struggles for justice and fairness on the job, educating folks about how they can do the same, and bringing relevant news to workers in Alabama and beyond.Our single largest source of revenue is our listeners so your support really matters and helps us stay on the air!Make a one time donation or become a monthly donor on our website or patreon:TVLR.FMPatreon.com/thevalleylaborreportVisit our official website for more info on the show, membership, our sponsors, merch, and more: https://www.tvlr.fmFollow TVLR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyLab...Follow TVLR on Twitter: @LaborReportersFollow Jacob on Twitter: @JacobM_ALFollow TVLR Co-Creator David Story on Twitter: @RadiclUnionist✦ CONTACT US ✦Our phone number is 844-899-TVLR (8857), call or text us live on air, or leave us a voicemail and we might play it during the show!✦ OUR ADVERTISERS KEEP US ON THE AIR! ✦Support them if you can.The attorneys at MAPLES, TUCKER, AND JACOB fight for working people. Let them represent you in your workplace injury claim. Mtandj.com; (855) 617-9333The MACHINISTS UNION represents workers in several industries including healthcare, the defense industry, woodworking, and more. iamaw44.org (256) 286-3704 / organize@iamaw44.orgDo you need good union laborers on your construction site, or do you want a union construction job? Reach out to the IRONWORKERS LOCAL 477. Ironworkers477.org  256-383-3334 (Jeb Miles) / local477@bellsouth.netThe NORTH ALABAMA DSA is looking for folks to work for a better North Alabama, fighting for liberty and justice for all. Contact / Join: DSANorthAlabama@gmail.comIBEW LOCAL 136 is a group of over 900 electricians and electrical workers providing our area with the finest workforce in the construction industry. You belong here. ibew136.org Contact: (205) 833-0909IFPTE - We are engineers, scientists, nonprofit employees, technicians, lawyers, and many other professions who have joined together to have a greater voice in our careers. With over 80,000 members spread across the U.S. and Canada, we invite you and your colleagues to consider the benefits of engaging in collective bargaining. IFPTE.org Contact: (202) 239-4880THE HUNTSVILLE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD is a union open to any and all working people. Call or email them today to begin organizing your workplace - wherever it is. On the Web: https://hsviww.org/ Contact: (256) 651-6707 / organize@hsviww.orgENERGY ALABAMA is accelerating Alabama's transition to sustainable energy. We are a nonprofit membership-based organization that has advocated for clean energy in Alabama since 2014. Our work is based on three pillars: education, advocacy, and technical assistance. Energy Alabama on the Web: https://alcse.org/ Contact: (256) 812-1431 / dtait@energyalabama.orgThe Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, poultry processing, dairy processing, cereal processing, soda bottlers, bakeries, health care, hotels, manufacturing, public sector workers like crossing guards, sanitation, and highway workers, warehouses, building services,  and distribution. Learn more at RWDSU.infoThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Learn more at AFGE.orgAre you looking for a better future, a career that can have you set for life, and to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself?   Consider a skilled trades apprenticeship with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Learn more at IUPAT.orgUnionly is a union-focused company created specifically to support organized labor. We believe that providing online payments should be simple, safe, and secure.  Learn more at unionly.ioHometown Action envisions inclusive, revitalized, and sustainable communities built through multiracial working class organizing and leadership development at the local and state level to create opportunities for all people to thrive. Learn more at hometownaction.orgMembers of IBEW have some of the best wages and benefits in North Alabama. Find out more and join their team at ibew558.org ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In a special panel co-hosted by The Real News and Haymarket Books, Railroad Workers United members speak about their struggle, the situation on the rails, and how you can get involved in efforts to support them.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

Join a panel of rank-and-file railroad workers for a discussion of one of the most important struggles in recent labor history. Railroad workers are currently engaged in one of the most important struggles in recent labor history, in an industry that is at the heart of the functioning of society. The rail industry has seen massive deregulation, lean production, and persistent undermining of working conditions that have made the work all but intolerable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Join the Community Solidarity Committee! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9qSAGziUtRK9bn0WAGSxpOJ_C1eKsenf60yKsJyNDWYFow/viewform?usp=sf_link Check out the Solidarity Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sf8-y3CyBh5B9PEZeAw_MgyoMvVdNNNOJYzd4zIcNQ/edit?usp=sharing ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite enormous political pressure, railroad workers are fed up, evidenced by the sections of workers who are voting NO on a Tentative Agreement that they feel doesn't address the base safety and quality of life issues they are willing to strike over. Railroad Workers United (RWU), a cross-union democratic rank and file organization of railroad workers, has launched a Vote No Campaign, insisting that this Tentative Agreement offers very little given the conditions they face and the role they play in the economy. If the railroad workers lead a strike, it will have immediate implications - economically and politically - for every sector of US society. Most importantly for the labor movement, and for socialists and radicals within it. Come hear Railroad Workers United members speak about their struggle, the situation on the rails, and how you can get involved in efforts to support them. The success of this campaign is of urgent importance, and solidarity must be built. Featuring: Engineers and conductors from Railroad Workers United, facilitated by Maximillion Alvarez from The Real News who has covered this struggle extensively. Co-Sponsored by: Railroad Workers United, Haymarket Books, and Many more. View full list of co-sponsors here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ok2RkkD0TcNmNU8BGXbdeCPT7NRblpMckSbq1Djxq14/edit?usp=sharing. This event is sponsored by Railroad Workers United and Haymarket Books. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/7gU-Vj_-IqY Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

Full Episode 10-10-22 - In this episode, Ron Kaminkow with the United Railroad Workers updates us on the labor dispute that could result in a strike of railroad workers united under one banner. We also clear up any confusion you might have about whether Biden is doing anything. Also, a follow up on last week's Kaiser Permanente mental health workers strike. Sparkle discusses Indigenous People's Day.

In the early hours of the morning on the 15th of September, the Biden Administration announced that a tentative agreement had been reached by the railroad companies and the railroad unions, delaying a potential nationwide strike. Now, the decision to accept this tentative agreement, or reject it and potentially go on strike rests with the railroad workers themselves. Tonight, we talked to Ross, a locomotive engineer and member of Railroad Workers United, to hear more about what railroad workers really think of this agreement and what may happen next. We also hear from Honda from DSA Labor to learn more about the launch of DSA's national labor solidarity fund, and how this fund can help aid working class struggle from coast-to-coast. Connect with Railroad Workers United: https://www.railroadworkersunited.org/ DSA National Labor Solidarity Fund: https://laborsolidarity.com/

Join us for a discussion of global labor organizing hosted by Internationalism from Below and Haymarket Books. The global supply chain crisis in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to reflect on the vulnerabilities of the just-in-time model of capitalist production. As capital studies and prepares for risks to the global supply chain, so must workers if we are to make global systemic changes needed to reverse the many catastrophic crises facing the planet. The new issue of the journal New Global Studies features a forum on Workers' Movements and the Global Supply Chain, which examines unions and global labor organizing in seven countries, identifying and assessing strategies for cross-border worker organizing at these choke points to apply pressure, extract gains, and tip the balance of power in their favor. Join us for this discussion with two of the contributors to that forum, Robert Ovetz and Gifford Hartman, leading experts on global labor struggles and strategy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Ovetz is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science at San José State University. He focuses on global labor organizing strategy and is the Membership & Organizing Chair of his union, the SJSU chapter of California Faculty Association, an anti-racist, social justice union of 29,000 faculty members in the California State University system. He is the editor of Workers' Inquiry and Global Class Struggle: Strategies, Tactics, Objectives (2020) and the author of When Workers Shot Back: Class Conflict from 1877 to 1921 (2018) and We the Elites: Why the U.S. Constitution Serves the Few (2022). He writes about worker organizing for Dollars & Sense magazine, is Book Review Editor of the Journal of Labor and Society, and is a contributor to The Routledge Handbook of the Gig Economy (2022). He can reached at rfovetz@riseup.net and his writings can be found here. Gifford Hartman is a Certified Trainer and Instructional Assistant for the Global Labour University, a founding member of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Global Supply Chain Study/Research Group, and the International Solidarity Liaison for Railroad Workers United. Over the last 25 years he has been an adult educator, labor trainer and labor historian. Prior to that, he was a rank-and-file member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). He has helped organize workshops, seminars, conferences and educational training sessions for unions, labor activists and environmental organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. His article “Supply Chain Workers' Inquiries: Class Struggle along Value Chains” appears in the current issue of New Global Studies. He can be contacted at giffordhartman@gmail.com and his writings can be found here. Moderator: Lala Peñaranda is a climate and labor activist from Colombia, based in New York. She is a member of Internationalism from Below, Science for the People, and DSA. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/kjsHtYpNUj8 Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

Full Episode 9-19-22 - In this episode, we interview Ron Kaminkow, organizer with Railroad Workers United, a labor organization that has managed to unite all railroad unions and is currently in a labor dispute that could result in a historic railworkers strike.

Excerpt from 9-19-22 - Interview with Ron Kaminkow about the current labor dispute in which railroad worker unions united under one banner will possibly go on strike due to labor conditions. We discuss the history of railroad workers, dynamics of labor organizing, the state of the railroad industry, and some history. 

The rail industry is experiencing a self-induced crisis as a result of decades of cost-cutting, profit-maximizing executive decisions that have driven rail workers and the supply chain into the ground. In an attempt to mediate between the major freight rail companies and unions representing over 100,000 railroad workers, President Biden appointed a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) to offer recommendations for resolving the ongoing contract disputes. But an overwhelming number of surveyed workers seem prepared to reject the PEB's recommendations, and if the current contract dispute isn't resolved the US could be headed towards its largest rail strike in decades.In this recorded livestream, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez and TRNN contributor and journalist Mel Buer co-host a livestream panel with current/former railroad workers and members of Railroad Workers United to discuss the looming possibility of a massive national rail strike.Studio/Post-Production: Dwayne GladdenHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

The rail industry is experiencing a self-induced crisis as a result of decades of cost-cutting, profit-maximizing executive decisions that have driven rail workers and the supply chain into the ground. In an attempt to mediate between the major freight rail companies and unions representing around 115,000 railroad workers, President Biden appointed a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) to offer recommendations for resolving the ongoing contract dispute. But an overwhelming number of surveyed workers seem prepared to reject the PEB's recommendations, and if the current contract dispute isn't resolved the US could be headed towards its largest rail strike in decades. In this livestream produced by The Real News Network, Max and journalist Mel Buer co-host a panel with current/former railroad workers and members of Railroad Workers United Jeff Kurtz and Ron Kaminkow to discuss the looming possibility of a massive national rail strike. With permission from TRNN, we are sharing the audio from this livestream on the Working People feed for our listeners.  Additional links/info below... Mel's Twitter page Ron's Twitter page Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Press Release: "RWU Announces Position on PEB #250" Survey Results: Rail Workers and the PEB  Working People, "Jay" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "Fired Up Rail Workers Rally in Galesburg, Illinois, as Potential National Strike Looms" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "Corporate Billionaires Are Wrecking the Supply Chain. Just Look at the Railroads" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Railroad Workers Are Being Ground to Dust. Who Will Help Them?" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Court Blocks Railroad Workers from Striking Over Draconian Attendance Policy" Joe DeManuelle-Hall, Labor Notes, "Rail Workers Reject Contract Recommendations, Say They're Ready to Strike" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

Railroad workers voted overwhelmingly this year to go on strike after more than two years of contract negotiations. The Biden administration prevented a strike by appointing a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) to hold hearings. That board released its recommendations recently. Clearing the FOG speaks with Michael "Paul" Lindsey, a railroad engineer and member of Railroad Workers United, about the deterioration of working conditions, workers' response to the PEB and the high likelihood of a national strike this Fall. Lindsey explains why the railroad worker's plight is similar to that of many workers in the United States and around the world and the importance of solidarity if a strike occurs. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

One of the most essential elements of our infrastructure in the United States, for moving freight across the country, for getting travelers and commuters to their destinations, and for addressing the challenges of a changes climate is railroads. There are about 140,000 miles of railroad track in the United States, much of it being severely under-utilized for various reasons. On this episode of Renoites, we welcome Ron Kaminkow. Ron is an Amtrak Engineer based in Reno, Nevada who serves as co-chair of the Nevada Rail Coalition, a "citizen-based initiative that brings together organizations, groups and individuals, including unions, environmental organizations, passenger and freight rail advocacy associations, social justice organizations, and neighborhood and community associations for the purpose of building an expanded and more robust rail system" Ron and Conor discuss the history of the rail network in the United States, the reasons for declining freight and passenger rail (and solutions to reverse the trend), the project of building an industrial union in an industry dominated by smaller craft unions under the banner of the Railroad Workers United, the impact of the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill on passenger rail, plus local issues like passenger connectivity between Reno and the Bay Area and the legacy of the downtown trench project. Thank you so much for listening! Be sure to follow Renoites on Instagram and Facebook and if you'd like to support the show financially visit patreon.com/renoites to become an official patron. Send any comments, feedback or guest suggestions! My email is conor@renoites.com    

TRNN viewers may remember a recent interview we published at the beginning of February in which Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez spoke with retired railway engineer Jeff Kurtz about a US District Court blocking railroad workers at BNSF Railway from striking over the recent implementation of a draconian new attendance policy. Even if the story has faded from the headlines, the struggles railroad workers are facing have not gone away in the slightest, and workers and their families have reported that BNSF's “Hi-Viz” policy has been a disaster for them and for the railroad industry. In this crucial follow-up report, Alvarez speaks with Jeff Kurtz and Ron Kaminkow of Railroad Workers United about what workers have been going through since the implementation of this new attendance policy and what can be done about it.Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor. Ron Kaminkow is currently serving as General Secretary of Railroad Workers United. Prior to hiring out as a brakeman with Conrail in 1996, he served as President of AFSCME Local 634 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2005, Kaminkow helped to found Railroad Operating Crafts United (ROCU), an RWU predecessor. A former brakeman, conductor, and engineer for Conrail and later NS in Chicago, he formerly worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee and Chicago. He currently is working as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, where he is the Vice President of BLET Local 51.Read the transcript of this interview: https://therealnews.com/railroad-workers-are-being-ground-to-dust-who-will-help-themPre-Production/Studio: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Adam ColeyHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

We're gearing up for Season 5 of the show and will be back very soon! In the meantime, if you're looking for more important coverage of worker struggles from Max, go check out the interviews he's doing for The Real News Network. With permission from TRNN, we're publishing the audio of his most recent interview with retired railroad worker and union officer Jeff Kurtz.    A crucial labor battle is currently unfolding between railroad workers and BNSF Railway, the largest freight railroad network in North America. Earlier in January, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), which together represent roughly 17,000 railroad workers, initiated steps to prepare for a strike that would have begun on the Feb. 1. This would comprise the largest railway strike in recent memory, and the unions have cited as the main point of contention a new BNSF scheduling and availability policy that workers say will separate them from their families and make it next to impossible to live and reasonably plan their lives. BLET National President Dennis Pierce and SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson called BNSF's so-called “Hi-Viz” policy “the worst and most egregious attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier.” However, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, a US District Court judge granted BNSF a temporary restraining order blocking the two unions from striking, saying that a strike would cause the rail company “substantial, immediate and irreparable harm.” In this interview, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with retired railroad worker and union leader Jeff Kurtz about BNSF's “Hi-Viz” policy and why workers in the railroad industry are prepared to strike. Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor. Pre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Cameron Granadino Additional links/info below... Watch the video version of this interview on The Real News Network YouTube channel Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Just desserts: Striking bakery workers in CA demand respect" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

A crucial labor battle is currently unfolding between railroad workers and BNSF Railway, the largest freight railroad network in North America. Earlier in January, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), which together represent roughly 17,000 railroad workers, initiated steps to prepare for a strike that would have begun on the Feb. 1. This would comprise the largest railway strike in recent memory, and the unions have cited as the main point of contention a new BNSF scheduling and availability policy that workers say will separate them from their families and make it next to impossible to live and reasonably plan their lives. BLET National President Dennis Pierce and SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson called BNSF's so-called “Hi-Viz” policy “the worst and most egregious attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier.”However, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, a US District Court judge granted BNSF a temporary restraining order blocking the two unions from striking, saying that a strike would cause the rail company “substantial, immediate and irreparable harm.” In this interview, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with retired railroad worker and union leader Jeff Kurtz about BNSF's “Hi-Viz” policy and why workers in the railroad industry are prepared to strike.Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor.Read the transcript of this interview: https://therealnews.com/court-blocks-railroad-workers-from-striking-over-draconian-attendance-policyPre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Cameron GranadinoHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews