THANK YOU FOR THAT.
NICOLE VALDEZ IN MISSISSIPPI.
>> President Biden: CONGRESS HAS
TO ACT TO PREVENT IT.
IT IS NOT AN EASY CALL BUT I
THINK WE HAVE TO DO IT.
THE ECONOMY IS AT RISK.
>> THERE ARE A SUBSTANTIAL
NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE WHO FEEL LIKE WE
NEED TO STAND WITH THE WORKERS
AND STAY OUT OF IT.
>> LEADER MCCONNELL AND I AGREED
WE’D TRY TO GET IT DONE ASAP.
>> Dana: LAWMAKERS UNDER
MOUNTING PRESSURE TO HEAD OFF A
RAIL STRIKE THAT COULD CRIPPLE
THE ECONOMY.
WE WANT TO BRING IN A LEADER OF
ONE UNION.
HOW DOES THE SCHEDULING WORK FOR
A RAIL WORKER AND HOW IT’S TOUGH
ON FAMILIES OF RAIL WORKERS
BECAUSE THEIR SCHEDULES CAN BE
UNPREDICTABLE AND WHAT THE PAID
SICK LEAVE ISSUE IS ALL ABOUT?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON,
DANA.
THE RAILROADS HAVE CUT TO BARE
BONES UNDER AN OPERATING SYSTEM
THAT THEY HAVE CALLED PSR.
MEMBERS HAVE BEEN REDUCED
SIGNIFICANTLY.
THE WORKERS HAVE MUCH FEWER
OPERATING WITH THE SAME TYPE OF
RAIL TRAFFIC.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE A LOT
OF EMPLOYEES DOING A LOT MORE
WORK AND SO THIS IS CAUSING A
PROBLEM WITH TIME THAT THEY NEED
WITH THEIR FAMILIES OR IF THEY
DO FALL ILL THEY ARE BEING
FORCED TO COME TO WORK AND
THREATENED WITH DISCIPLINE AND
OFTENTIMES ARE DISCIPLINED IF
THEY DO NOT -- IF THEY FAIL TO
COME INTO WORK AND FALL ILL.
THEY CALL IN SICK.
THEY COULD BE DISCIPLINED AND
AFTER SO MANY OF THEM THEY CAN
ULTIMATELY BE TERMINATED.
OUR GOAL IS TO BRING SICK LEAVE
INTO THE INDUSTRY.
WE’VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR IT FOR
55 YEARS AND WE BELIEVE IT NEEDS
TO BE PART OF THE AGREEMENT THIS
ROUND.
THE RAILROADS ARE NOT BARGAINING
ANY SICK LEAVE DAYS.
RIGHT NOW OUR EMPLOYEE MEMBERS
HAVE 0 SICK LEAVE DAYS AND THE
FIGHT IS ON NOW IN THE HOUSE AS
YOU GUYS KNOW AND THE SENATE.
WE ARE HOPEFUL THEY’LL STAND
WITH THE WORKERS AND GIVE US THE
SICK LEAVE DAYS WE’RE ASKING
FOR.
>> Dana: BERNIE SANDERS SAYS IT
HAS TO GUARANTEE SICK LEAVE FOR
WORKERS.
SENATOR CORNYN TOLD REPORTERS
THINKS THERE COULD BE
SUBSTANTIAL REPUBLICAN SUPPORT
FOR A BERNIE SANDERS AMENDMENT
THERE.
LET ME ASK YOU.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE
POLITICS.
ON THE MERITS WOULD THE BERNIE
SANDERS AMENDMENT GET YOU WHAT
YOU NEED TO AVOID A RAIL STRIKE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BERNIE SANDERS AMENDMENT IS
EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
SEVEN SICK LEAVE DAYS AND WE
BELIEVE IT’S FAIR.
EMPLOYEES MAY NOT USE ALL SEVEN
BUT IF THEY FALL ILL AND SICK
FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW IT
WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO OUR
MEMBERSHIP AND WE ARE HEARING
THAT THE POLITICS BEHIND IT THAT
THERE ARE REPUBLICANS STANDING
WITH BERNIE ON THIS AND HOPE
THEY WILL.
THIS IS A NON-POLITICAL ISSUE.
IT’S WHETHER YOU SUPPORT WORKERS
AND WHAT VERY REALISTIC
EXPECTATION OF SICK LEAVE,
WHICH, YOU KNOW, OVER 80% OF
FULL-TIME PAID AMERICANS HAVE.
THERE IS NO REASON WHY THEY
SHOULDN’T HAVE IT IN THIS
INDUSTRY.
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE ARE SO
VITAL TO THE ECONOMY ALLEGEDLY
AND SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY WON’T
ALLOW US TO GO ON STRIKE, THERE
IS NO REASON WHY OUR MEMBERS
SHOULDN’T HAVE SICK LEAVE.
IT IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
IT IS A NON-POLITICAL ISSUE.
I DON’T THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE
A REPUBLICAN VERSUS DEMOCRAT.
ANYONE THAT WANTS TO STAND WITH
WORKERS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT
NOW IN THE SENATE TO STAND WITH
US AND SUPPORT US.
THE INITIATIVE IS COMING FORWARD
BY BERNIE AND WE APPRECIATE
BERNIE STEPPING FORWARD AND
PUTTING THE AMENDMENT.
WE HOPE WE GET SUPPORT FOR IT IN
THE SENATE.
>> Dana: ONE QUICK QUESTION.
WHAT PERCENTAGE DO YOU PUT IT AT
IN TERMS OF THE CHANCES OF A
RAIL STRIKE AT THIS POINT TODAY?
>> WELL, I DON’T THINK THERE
WILL BE A RAIL STRIKE.
NOR DO WE WANT ONE.
IT IS NOT -- NOBODY’S HOPE WE
HAVE A RAIL STRIKE.
IT WOULD BE A BLOW TO THE
ECONOMY AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD
DEFINITELY BE HURT BY IT.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO AVOID ONE AND
IT’S A VERY SIMPLE THING.
NEED TO GET SICK LEAVE.
IT IS A FRACTION OF COST TO THE
RAILROADS.
PENNIES OF THE MONEY THAT THEY
MAKE AND THE PROFITS THEY HAVE.
ONE PENNY ON EVERY DOLLAR.
THERE IS NO REASON IT CAN’T BE
ACCOMPLISHED.
IF THE LEGISLATURE THAT’S GOING
THROUGH NOW WILL STOP OUR STRIKE
AND IF THEY DO CHOOSE TO STOP
OUR STRIKE I HOPE THEY PASS SICK
LEAVE WITH THE MEASURE.
>> Dana: THE DEBATE WILL GO ON
AND APPRECIATE YOUR POINT OF