OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Congress is trying to lock railroad workers into a deal that was struck in September as the deadline for a massive strike approaches. The U.S. House voted to bind the industry and workers to that deal while adding some of the sick leave unions want.
Railroad workers say they've never had sick time off. For Jakob Forsgren, who is a thermite welder at BNSF, it takes a toll. He's sick at home with the flu and, since he has no sick time off, he has to use his paid time off (PTO) but he needs his manager's approval.
"Having influenza hasn't been fun by any means. Having to worry about whether or not I'm going to get paid for these days just complicates that," Forsgren said.
George Loveland worked for the railroad for more than 18 years and is the General Chairman of the Burlington System Division. It's an elected union position with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division. He shares a similar story.
"I've missed the birth of my children (and) some medical procedures my wife has had. I've had to go to work sick, miserable. I know I've infected my coworkers. I know they've infected me," Loveland said.
Conditions like these are why some of these unions are pushing for more sick time so they don't have to make decisions between their health and finances.
At the height of the pandemic, Joseph Nantista, who is the Assistant General Chairman for the Unified System Division of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, said railroads initiated a 14-day quarantine period if railroaders were infected or exposed to the virus.
"The financial impact was devastating on our employees," Nantista said.
Workers were entitled to some benefits of railroad retirement but the amount is "low," he said. They got paid $82 a day.
"Those members ... they would get that same amount. That $82 a day for that entire time and some of them were in the hospital for three (to) five months. That's a tremendous blow," Nantista said.
The tentative agreement railroad workers and operators are discussing is a four-year deal but negotiations have taken so long. It will expire at the end of 2024.
"The process is often drawn out and lengthy and frustrating," Nantista said.
But Forsgren illustrates the devastating impact of COVID-19 and a lack of sick days.
"We had members that lost their homes. There were assets that went sideways because of multiple exposures to COVID and multiple situations where they were removed from service for these two-week periods," Forsgren said.
Rep. Don Bacon emailed 3 News Now a statement that says he supports giving sick leave because "quality of life" is just as important as a pay raise. Now the bill is off to Senate.
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