Railroaders Go Wobbly, Strike against Firings

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2013/08/railroaders-go-wobbly-strike-against-firings



Railroad strikers in Chicago say their employer—a subcontractor—pays too little and provides unsafe vehicles. They're striking over firings, surveillance, and promises of payment for non-participation in the strike. Photo: Mobile Rail Workers Union. - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2013/08/railroaders-go-wobbly-strike-against-firings#sthash.8fCDybA0.dpuf


Rail workers on the Union Pacific are on strike in Chicago, but they are not traditional railroaders. They are contract workers who service locomotives, work traditionally done by railroad employees paid much more than the $14 an hour at Mobile Rail Solutions.

The 30 workers who oil and fuel the locomotives and empty their toilets went public with a union recognition drive July 8. Mobile promptly hired the union-busting law firm Ogletree and Deakins. Workers filed several OSHA complaints that prompted inspections—and the company fired three of them.

Now the workers are staging an unfair labor practices strike that has seriously affected Mobile’s ability to fulfill its contract with Union Pacific. The manager has refused to meet with organizers and workers about the firings.

Their union is the Industrial Workers of the World—the Wobblies. The IWW filed unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday that included surveillance, intimidation, firings, and promises of payment for non-participation in the strike. The NLRB has set August 14 for a recognition election.

- See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2013/08/railroaders-go-wobbly-strike-against-firings#sthash.8fCDybA0.dpuf

FULL story at link.

Buy this at the store at the link:

[Warpy]

1. I'd love it if people turned back to the Wobblies to represent them

they've always been the best one, recognizing the unpaid labor of women in the home as well as paid labor in industry and farming.

http://www.iww.org/

[Blue Owl]

2. Union Pacific changes name to simply "Pacific"