How would a railroad strike affect you?

[Major Tom]

I'm sure there will be shortages of almost anything! We have a friend who raises cattle and we can buy beef from him.

[Allen]

Hard to say. We don't know all that is shipped by rail these days. Also depends upon where you live. Fuel is an example. People living near refineries have fuel shipped by truck. Other areas are fed by pipelines to pumping stations. From there it most likely goes by truck. Other areas by rail I suppose.

Cattle is a good example but most every state has cattle farmers and could be shipped by truck. No doubt cost would be more.

I would say one of the biggest affects would be over hazardous materials like chemicals used to make plastics and insecticides and so forth that goes mostly by train.

[dogtag]

Like most kids, I wanted to be a engine driver, so if they need me, I'm ready to do my bit.

[Vern Humphrey]

During the early days of the Roosevelt era, labor unions were forced to abide by the monopoly laws -- because they monopolize the labor force in many industries. Congress passed a law exempting unions from the monopoly laws, and the time has come to repeal that law.

Unions are monopolies against the rest of us -- and this coming strike is an example of how they are willing to hurt all of us for their own benefit.

[dogtag]

During the early days of the Roosevelt era, labor unions were forced to abide by the monopoly laws -- because they monopolize the labor force in many industries. Congress passed a law exempting unions from the monopoly laws, and the time has come to repeal that law.

Unions are monopolies against the rest of us -- and this coming strike is an example of how they are willing to hurt all of us for their own benefit.

The Teachers' Union is a good example of that.

[Vern Humphrey]

The Teachers' Union is a good example of that.

The teachers union is the poster child for corruption and union thuggery.

[Allen]

I wonder if NYC still uses trains to remove all their chit. It used to be called the poo poo choo choo. The main export and reflection of the worth of that city.

[Major Tom]

In my town there is a Case New Holland plant that builds backhoes. The UAW union forced a strike against management last May 2022. They are still 'on strike' with no talks going on. About 500 workers are affected locally. Those people have surely suffered for what little gain the union wanted!

[lyman]

Tropicana ships a lot of Oranges and OJ to NYC and points north via Rail, a lot of is passes thru RVA,

a lot of Coal is shipped from western VA and West Va to Norfolk and shipped elsewhere

[Vern Humphrey]

Once again, labor unions are monopolies -- illegal combinations in restraint of trade -- and they should be prosecuted as such.

[barretcreek]

Taft Hartley Act prohibited one union from monopolizing an industry. National Education Association v Am Fed of Teachers.
Fuel here is delivered by rail then trucked. Bagged feed, bulk lubes, ag chemicals, lumber and building mat'l, grain. Stack trains move containers from West Coast ports to East Coast terminals for Caribbean and trans Atlantic routes. Pentagon moves big stuff and heavy stuff by rail. Bombs from Indiana to Port Chicago.

[Vern Humphrey]

Taft Hartley Act prohibited one union from monopolizing an industry. National Education Association v Am Fed of Teachers.
Fuel here is delivered by rail then trucked. Bagged feed, bulk lubes, ag chemicals, lumber and building mat'l, grain. Stack trains move containers from West Coast ports to East Coast terminals for Caribbean and trans Atlantic routes. Pentagon moves big stuff and heavy stuff by rail. Bombs from Indiana to Port Chicago.

The Taft Hartley Act is fiction -- unions have agreements between themselves to not poach on each other's territory. If businesses did that, it would definitely be monopoly.

[RED]

Things are a lot different now than they were years ago. The two largest rail unions, SMART Transportation Division and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, have a difference. SMART TD has more younger members and the BLET has a more senior members. The old hands do not want changes and they do not want to strike. It does not matter much since Ronald Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic strikers there has not been many attempts to strike by transportation workers.

[Vern Humphrey]

Things are a lot different now than they were years ago. The two largest rail unions, SMART Transportation Division and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, have a difference. SMART TD has more younger members and the BLET has a more senior members. The old hands do not want changes and they don?t want to strike. It does not matter much since Ronald Reagan fired 11,000 RR strikers there has not been many attempts to strike.

I think it was Air Traffic Controllers Reagan fired.

But the point is, unions bleat about how hard THEY have it -- so somehow they have a right to make things hard for the rest of us. If they don't like their working conditions, let them quit.

[RED]

You are right?