Strike on BNSF?

[PatAzo]

Violin music? You asked what happened to the days when someone worked their way up the ladder. She started as a trainee and spent 29 years working her way up.

Hey how about Hunter Harrison? He started as a car oiler and worked his way up.

[SD80MAC]

There have been plenty of great railroad Presidents/CEOs that never worked a day on the ground. There have been plenty of bad ones who have. Hunter Harrison anyone?

[joeyuboats]

I guess that I stand corrected, but that still leaves a question. If she is so good at her job, then why are the shippers and employees not happy?

[Standard Railfan]

Shippers and employees are never happy just like short term “investors”.

[PatAzo]

If she is so good at her job, then why are the shippers and employees not happy?

Because she and the management team at BNSF are good at their jobs. Berkshire Hathaway and it's investors didn't buy BNSF so they could hold hands with the shippers and sing Kumbaya. It's an investment and they want their money. Hunter Harrison promoted reducing customers, equipment and people under the PSR banner to maximize net income. Wall Street likes the idea and railroad CEO's are stuck with it.

They will continue on their present path until they have made all the cuts they can, Wall Street starts hammering for revenue growth and they need more customers, or there is a regulatory solution. With Republicans panicking over anything Democrat and Democrat's letting "progressive's" paralyze their party a government solution stands a good chance of being a bigger cluster. I'd put my bet on Wall Street demanding growth in revenue.

[Jetlink]

If she is so good at her job, then why are the shippers and employees not happy?

Because she and the management team at BNSF are good at their jobs. Berkshire Hathaway and it's investors didn't buy BNSF so they could hold hands with the shippers and sing Kumbaya. It's an investment and they want their money. Hunter Harrison promoted reducing customers, equipment and people under the PSR banner to maximize net income. Wall Street likes the idea and railroad CEO's are stuck with it.

They will continue on their present path until they have made all the cuts they can, Wall Street starts hammering for revenue growth and they need more customers, or there is a regulatory solution. With Republicans panicking over anything Democrat and Democrat's letting "progressive's" paralyze their party a government solution stands a good chance of being a bigger cluster. I'd put my bet on Wall Street demanding growth in revenue.

PatAzo gets it. I couldn't have said it better or more concisely myself. Well said.

[JBaxter]

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... v5mWtQMNzk


Seems like a strike is coming pretty soon. Seems like the supply chain issues are gonna continue, but hopefully this means the employees get treated better.


Thoughts?

[Saturnalia]

Thoughts?

Sleepy Joe will step in with a Presidential Emergency Board per the Railway Labor Act, and then they'll go through that process. The Class Ones won't be caught dead not taking whatever recommendations the Board comes up with. Otherwise, the unions would then strike, and I'm pretty sure the nation's sympathies will be with the labor on this one.

I'm a blood-red conservative and lover of capitalism, but businesses must still treat their people with respect. The Class Ones have boasted record profits for a decade, so it's hard to see where they shouldn't be sharing some success with their workers. It isn't like they can plead poor.

[Chip]

Thoughts?

Sleepy Joe will step in with a Presidential Emergency Board per the Railway Labor Act, and then they'll go through that process. The Class Ones won't be caught dead not taking whatever recommendations the Board comes up with. Otherwise, the unions would then strike, and I'm pretty sure the nation's sympathies will be with the labor on this one.

I'm a blood-red conservative and lover of capitalism, but businesses must still treat their people with respect. The Class Ones have boasted record profits for a decade, so it's hard to see where they shouldn't be sharing some success with their workers. It isn't like they can plead poor.

Same thing is going to happen next year in the auto industry once the UAW contracts with the big 3 come up for negotiations, with the added bonus that UNIFOR up in Canada aligned their contract timing with ours last time around. The next 2-4 years are going to be a sh*t show no matter who's in charge.

[Jetlink]

You sure Biden will convene the PEB? A labor friendly party chief? And I’m also not so sure the plan isn’t to intentionally sabotage. May you live in interesting times; and we certainly do.

[Saturnalia]

You sure Biden will convene the PEB? A labor friendly party chief?

I mean, I guess the same guy tossed out 20 years of blood and treasure in Afghanistan in a week so...

All Presidents faced with this have...even liberal ones. The consequences of a nationwide railroad strike are too great - that's why the Railway Labor Act was written, and what the PEB process exists.

It's also why the airline industry is done the same way. Too critical to go under the traditional NLRB rules.

[Chip]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/busin ... 070059002/