Edit: Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act
- When you're part of a union, you pay union dues. Some of those dues go into a strike fund. Union members only have access to those funds in an authorized strike. If workers strike without union authorization, it is a wildcat strike and they do not have access to the strike fund, meaning if they strike they have zero income.
These workers have bills and families. 2/3 of American workers are living paycheck to paycheck. Posting on the internet that you support a wildcat railroad strike is the same as offering thoughts and prayers. They need money to pay bills if they strike, which they won't have access to in a wildcat strike.
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If the union leaders authorized a strike that is illegal, the union leaders would be arrested and go to jail. Fam, they aren't going to jail for anyone. It would be completely up to the workers to organize this on their own without the union leaders catching wind of it. They would be fired if they were caught organizing an unauthorized strike.
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Saying, “Well they should just quit” isn't helpful. It's incredibly difficult to change careers and workers usually take a pay cut when they do. Railroading is obviously highly specialized and to just quit would mean they have to find a job in a brand new industry making entry level wages. Have you seen inflation y'all? It is completely unfair and out of touch to say they should just quit. It's not that easy, nothing in life ever is.
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It is illegal for unions to join strikes across industries. For example, if the airline pilots had an authorized strike, it would be illegal for the plumbers union to join them in any way for solidarity. It is only legal for a union to strike because of issues and negotiations with the employer directly. This makes a general strike or all unions joining together in some way completely illegal. Union leaders know this, and I promise, they aren't willing to go to jail.
Catching a misdemeanor or felony is different than it was when workers were fighting the good fight in the 1800-1900s. If you were convicted of a crime back then, it didn't completely hinder your ability to get a job, housing, food stamps, financial aid, etc. Being convicted now completely destroys a person's life. For many, the risk is too great. Can you blame them? You can't even rent an apartment if you have a felony and it makes getting job damn near impossible.
I am desperate for change, like so many of us. But it is so important to understand how labor laws work and be realistic about what options the railroad workers have, and what options we all have moving forward. The American government just sent a strong message to all American workers: “We don't give a fuck about your unions, your working conditions, your pay, or your labor rights.” Unions might have worked in the past and they might work currently in other countries, but they aren't doing shit here anymore. The government has made sure of that.
If a wildcat strike fund is established separate from the unions, I would gladly donate to it.