Crew room arguments are one thing. Our livelihoods are another.
For those of us working at Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, the stakes reach far beyond which union wins an argument. Our crafts, our families’ security, and our futures on the railroad are on the line.
Now, that message is reaching beyond railroad labor Reddit forums and Facebook.
In an October 7 opinion piece published by The Missouri Times, former Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones draws a sharp distinction: SMART-TD negotiated written job protections. The Teamsters are fighting the merger while representing substantial interests in trucking and parcel delivery. Jones questions whose interests that fight serves.
That should put it all in perspective for the thousands of craft employees on these two massive railroads.
We can disagree with fellow railroaders and still want the same future. But every member deserves to ask whether the people directing the opposition to the merger share our priorities. And want the same thing for the men and women who make up rail labor.
SMART-TD is fighting like hell for the American locomotive engineer and freight conductor. Protecting our careers is the purpose of this fight. Winning a crew room argument won’t pay a mortgage. Enforceable protections keep a family secure.
We welcome Jones putting his name behind an argument our members deserve to hear. Read his column below. Then ask the question that matters: Who is fighting for our future, and what have they secured in writing?
Read the full piece by clicking below.
Source: www.smart-union.org
