For nearly 150 years rail labor has been divided into a myriad of craft unions. At one time, 26 different unions represented workers on the railroads of the U.S. alone! Through mergers and craft obsolescence, this number has been now reduced to the current 13 or so. The history of this cumbersome, bureaucratic and divisive quagmire of rail labor is one of ineffectual bargaining at best, and sellouts, back-stabbing, and outright scabbing at worst. The failure of rail labor to stick together and to build a common strategy and a common platform has historically been one of the greatest impediments to railroad workers achieving their goals.
While most rank-and-filers and many union leaders agree that coordinated bargaining makes sense, there are many obstacles to achieving this lofty goal, including:
-- Fear on the part of the respective union leaderships.
-- Desire on the part of some union leaders to protect their own personal fiefdom.
-- Lack of imagination and a belief that nothing new is possible.
-- Long standing hostilities and distrust among some unions based upon past bargaining experiences.
-- Those union leaders who feel the best way to bargain is to curry favor with the carrier, be the first to settle,
offer the carrier a good deal, etc.
We need to overcome these obstacles and forge ahead, building a grand coalition of rail labor in this round of bargaining. To these ends, with this issue of The Highball, RWU officially launches our campaign coast-to-coast to push for coordinated bargaining. Below are some ways that you and your union local can get involved in the campaign:
-- Sign the petition calling on all rail labor unions to unite in bargaining in 2009.
-- Circulate the petition among your co-workers at work and at your union meeting.
-- Pass a resolution of support for coordinated bargaining at your local meeting
-- Distribute literature, posters and other materials at work.
-- Talk to your co-workers about solidarity and the need to bargain as a group.
-- Talk to union brothers and sisters of other crafts, get to know one another and talk
about the need to stick together throughout this coming round of bargaining.
Much of this issue of The Highball is dedicated to the question of coordinated bargaining, labor union coalitions, and joint action across crafts and unions. We hope you enjoy it. If it all makes sense to you, please get involved in the campaign and together, we can make it happen! Solidarity!
The fall RWU newsletter addressing Co-ordinated Bargaining is attached for your convenience.
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| Highbal Fall CORRECTED 9-28-09.pdf | 209.78 KB |