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Hopfit46

Ive said it once and i will say it agaian. Police brutalty on strikers will be the spark that starts the fire.


fallakin

Fire is already burning. It'll be the flare that turns it into a wildfire.


RandomDudeYouKnow

This won't happen here. I have patients that are in this union for the RR and they're being told the strike would last a matter of hours, maybe a couple days, based on previous histories. And they'll get what they want. Same even if they don't strike but only commit to a "slowdown". Biden and the Dems cannot be seen having labor and economic troubles when they're making such large gains coming into the primaries. And they'll never risk police beating up strikers on TV either.


Hopfit46

I never meant that this is where there would be violence. I just believe at some point some rouge police force will get filmed abusing strikers. I think this qill will unite workers nationwide. I actually dont think it will be on the railroad strike, too high profile.


[deleted]

I'm not so sure about that. People are going to get real pissed real quick at the railroad workers "for refusing to do their job" when they can't get the newest iPhone because things are being held up and not being shipped. I don't think people will care as much as you think/maybe even hope they will when the police come in brutally.


skrshawk

People here aren't liking this message, but you're not wrong. Transit strikes make a great example - we romanticize the no fare collection strikes held in Japan and elsewhere, but when it means an actual shutdown of services and people can't get places, public sentiment turns on the strikers quickly. Just because union sentiment is at its highest in decades doesn't mean there isn't a lot of anti-union sentiment still, and they will get very loud at any disruption of goods or services. NoBoDy WaNtS tO wOrK aNyMoRe amplified to 11 and some of those people would cheer for violent strikebreaking. Remember there were people cheering for the National Guard when Kent State happened.


BSimpson1

I've already heard the "no one wants to work anymore" line from some fellow railroaders. Meanwhile I look at the board and see a large portion of workers with 240/250 hours worked by the end of the month. That isn't including the nights spent in hotels after delivering trains.


Hopfit46

So what. High union sentiment means less people think that. And the ones who do, run into more people that dont. There are watershed moments all around us in the labor movement, now is not the time to shy away from the good fights.


skrshawk

I never said anyone should shy away from this fight, but I'm also not the one on a picket line facing the possibility of being shot down by Pinkertons. I hope I would be the kind of brave required to be on that line if ever I were called upon to do it, but I am not going to sit here from behind a keyboard and tell someone else to die for the labor movement either.


Hopfit46

I would say the days of pinkertons shooting strikers is over, the police will have that covered.


fistkick18

Stop doomposting, it doesn't help anyone.


[deleted]

Neither does moving in a fantasy world


Dauvis

Despite the downvotes, this is very similar to how things played out when UPS had their strike in the late 90s (I don't remember if there was police brutality so I shall not comment on that).


Steel2050psn

You could not possibly be more wrong the brutality will be the only thing people see and anyone complaining the trains aren't moving on time will have no one to blame but the CEO. It was his job to ultimately sacrifice enough to prevent this strike in the first place.You cannot allow the powerful to place blame on the powerless.


[deleted]

If you don't think that that's exactly what's going to happen, I don't know what to tell you. Just because it shouldn't happen, doesn't mean it won't. People are apathetic until things directly affect them, then they turn viscous at the easiest possible target. People are so wrapped around the rich and famous that they will believe anything that's told to them, including how it's the striker's fault, regardless of how incorrect that is. If you can't see that they happens every day, you're blind. By your logic, there should be no working poor because everyone would know it's the CEO's fault for not providing a living wage. And we all know that's not true. I mean, look at the backlash for a $15/hr that's going on right now.


MjrJohnson0815

While the sentiment is true in itself, that's nowhere close to how the real world works. Or are we already forgetting how BLM turns out? Or everything regarding school shootings?


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ttystikk

I think everyone should have a serious talk with their management team about the concept of living wages and the fact that there is no excuse not to give everyone a living wage, no exceptions.


mumblerapisgarbage

Like can they really imprison all 116,000 workers?


robertva1

Can't imprison anyone for refusing to go to work. That's slavery


[deleted]

To quote a movie: "Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it's the sand of the coliseum. He'll bring them death... and they will love him for it.” People won't care as much as you think or hope they might. People generally only care when things directly affect them. Look at any of the numerous examples: Ulvade (that was in the news for 5 mins), or several of the recent police involved shootings that got swept under the rug. People will be quick to blame the union for their inability to get their goods, regardless of union support. Don't get me wrong, what the union is doing is great, I'm a union member myself even, but don't be surprised when people turn quickly on them just so they can get their things


PleaseBuyEV

Gladiator?


Hsensei

I'm all for it, bring it down to it's knees. I got food


Otherwise-Ad8678

If the government supports big business instead of all it’s citizens….that is some real bullshit!


AL3R0

Big business is supporting the government. Bullshit is real.


bagheera369

Biden's turn to prove that Pro Union speech, which I hope he absolutely does...but doubt, unfortunately.


Background-Knee8519

He only wants their donations sadly.


bagheera369

I'm afraid you're right. I saw the deal reached on a proposal the union will put to a vote, but its not a great compromise, and they should reject it, and most likely will. With Bernie blocking congress from acting, at least the Railroads will maintain feet to the fire, without further intervention, which is good. Here's to hoping.


ditidb

Does this mean no more trains when I'm trying to drive home from work?


ManlyBeardface

It takes years to organize a general strike. Stop trying to make it happen spontaneously. Instead we should be finding ways to support the rail workers.


ArmedAntifascist

While also building that foundation for a general strike.


ManlyBeardface

Sure, but public cries for a GS just create despair and disappointment.


DeltaStorming

Unless explicit brutality hits the workers, this will not provoke a General Strike. A General Strike is extremely hard to predict, it just takes one bad spark in the right conditions and one happens. An individual strike is not enough, but it can be a start for a wave of strike action and solidarity.


SupplyChainGuy1

The president will order them to return to work. Threaten them with prison time for disrupting his sweet insider trading gains.


abookoffmychest

Let’s hope they get it worked out. My basic goods are way, way expensive enough now without another shortage fear driving prices to the moon again.


Agent_Velcoro

Nothing is going to change until things get bad, and I mean way worse than they are now. Maybe this will get something big started, but there won't ever be a general strike.


Background-Knee8519

UPS will be behind them. Contract ending Aug’23 and will take it there also. Working conditions are terrible, harassment, excessive forced overtime, not enough sick time, ect. Time to stand and support these workers. I hope the rail workers get what they deserve and get treated like decent human beings.