美国国家公共电台 NPR--Rail workers never stopped fighting for paid sick days. Now persistence is paying off

Rail workers never stopped fighting for paid sick days. Now persistence¹ is paying off

Transcript²

It seemed like a done deal just two months ago.

Rail workers had brought the country to the brink³ of a nationwide rail shutdown over the fact that they didn't have paid sick leave - and wouldn't get any in the contract they were negotiating with their bosses, the massive freight railroad companies. But then, Congress stepped in to end the impasse⁴. Strike averted⁵.

Through a bipartisan vote, lawmakers imposed a contract that gave workers a substantial raise but no paid sick days.

In rail yards across the country, workers felt deflated⁷ — and defeated.

"Here is America's essential workers — rail workers. We have no paid sick days," said Matthew Weaver⁸, a railroad carpenter in Toledo, Ohio, just after the vote. "It's disgusting."

Fast forward to this week.

One of the largest freight railroads in the world, CSX, announced a deal with two rail unions, including Weaver's, to provide four days of paid sick leave annually⁹, plus the option of converting three personal days into additional paid sick time.

"It's very exciting. It's a good faith effort to show that we're essential employees rather than expendable," Weaver said this week. "It gives me hope."

How CSX became the first freight railroad to offer paid sick leave

What CSX has agreed to so far only covers about 5,000 workers, but the rail carrier says it's pursuing similar agreements with the other rail unions.

The White House took some credit for the developments, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters on Thursday that the deals follow "continued advocacy and involvement from the Biden administration."

But CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs describes a turn of events that started from within.

Hinrichs, who started at CSX last September, says that even as the freight railroads as a group remained staunchly opposed to paid sick leave, he was in discussions at the multibillion-dollar company about doing something different once the national negotiations¹⁰ were over.

During his three decades in the auto¹¹ industry, Hinrichs saw workers get allowances for absences that can be used for various purposes, including if they wake up sick. In rail, workers must get approval far in advance for any paid personal days they take. There's no calling in sick the morning of your shift.

"It's really difficult, of course, to pre-approve sickness when you don't know you're going to be sick," Hinrichs said.

His first couple months on the job were punctuated¹² by union votes on the contract. He watched as four of the 12 rail unions voted it down, citing the lack of paid sick leave as a driving factor.

All the freight railroads had been suffering from a shortage of workers, in part because they all furloughed a lot of workers at the start of the pandemic, and workers didn't come back.

And as the negotiations ground on, the employees they did have were speaking out loudly about the lack of paid sick leave and gaining broad public support. The issue was becoming a liability for the rail industry.

"There's no doubt that the railroad industry overall didn't get improvements to its image by what transpired¹³ over those several months," says Hinrichs.

In December, after the new contract had gone into effect, Hinrichs and other senior CSX executives sat down with leaders from the Brotherhood¹⁴ of Maintenance of Way Employees and restarted the conversation over paid sick leave.

This week, that union and one other became the first to strike a deal.

"If we want to change, if we're going to make a difference, we have to try new things," Hinrichs said.

Senators band together to pressure other railroads

Famously progressive Senator Bernie Sanders was joined by Republican Senator Mike Braun of Indiana on Thursday in challenging CEOs of other freight rail companies to follow suit.

"At a time of record-breaking profits, that industry can and must guarantee at least seven paid sick days to every rail worker in America," Sanders said. "In the year 2023, that is not a whole lot to ask."

A handful of his colleagues across the aisle¹⁵ seem to agree.

Just before the Senate voted to impose the rail contract without sick leave, there had been a vote on a separate bill that gave rail workers seven days of paid sick time. Six Republicans including Ted⁶ Cruz, Josh Hawley and Braun had gotten on board, but the measure fell short of the 60 votes it needed to clear the Senate.

"Those of us in Congress who voted for seven days... we are not going to forget this issue," Sanders warned on Thursday.

He said he hoped the railroads would act voluntarily, but "if they don't, I look forward to seeing them right here in this Senate committee room."

In fact, more discussions are already underway, with unions reporting they have reopened negotiations with other freight railroads to add paid sick leave. But many rank-and-file workers are bracing¹⁶ for what they'll be asked to give up in return.

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees says the union gave no concessions¹⁷ in its deal with CSX.

Asked to confirm that, CSX's Hinrichs said: "It is true that the workers themselves did not give anything to help pay for these benefits."

1 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

4 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

5 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

6 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

7 deflated   

adj. 灰心丧气的

参考例句：

• I was quite deflated by her lack of interest in my suggestions.他对我的建议兴趣不大，令我感到十分气馁。
• He was deflated by the news.这消息令他泄气。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

9 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

12 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 transpired   

（事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生

参考例句：

• It transpired that the gang had had a contact inside the bank. 据报这伙歹徒在银行里有内应。
• It later transpired that he hadn't been telling the truth. 他当时没说真话，这在后来显露出来了。

14 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

15 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

16 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

17 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。