ST. LOUIS – St. Louis railroad workers are protesting right now for what they consider a basic necessity. They are outside the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis.
We’re working to get the TRRA’s side of things this morning too. but right now we’re hearing from the terminal railroaders. They’re saying they deserve paid sick leave now.
They say this has become the industry standard following a near-national strike on America’s major freight railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. As a result, many of these carriers agreed to provide paid sick leave to their employees.
President Joe Biden and members of his cabinet managed to hammer out a labor agreement with railroad and union officials, which prevented a nationwide strike. The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or ‘BMWED,’ is a national union representing the workers who build and maintain the tracks, bridges, buildings, and other structures on the railroads.
Members of the St. Louis Chapter shared with FOX 2 that they have not secured paid sick leave with the Terminal Railroad Association, and they’re hoping to get the talks going on Wednesday. The key demands from the union include the implementation of a fair and comprehensive paid sick leave policy that considers the unique challenges faced by railroad workers, acknowledgment of the right of every worker to access paid sick leave without fear of retribution, and transparent information about sick leave policies and eligibility criteria.
FOX 2 spoke with the vice president of BMWED moments ago. He shared that they’re asking for a policy that ensures the health and dignity of their workers are prioritized.
“We’re basically asking the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis to come to the table and negotiate and come,” “Our members deserve paid sick leave. It’s a critical lifesaving measure for them and their family and we are out here to tell them that we need paid sick leave for our members and to come to the table and negotiate in good faith. We have sent several communications to them in the past and they have not responded to those communications. So we’re out here to make our voices and our demands known that our members need paid sick leave and their families deserve paid sick leave.”
