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Judd Legum Nov 29, 2022

1. The nation's 100K+ rail workers get ZERO paid sick days

They want FOUR

And are threatening to strike December 9

In response, corporate America is demanding Congress intervene and force them to continue working without any paid sick days

Railroading workers

Railroad workers across the country are threatening to go on strike on December 9, delivering a potentially crippling blow to the American economy. According to the Association of American Railroads, a nationwide rail shutdown could cost more than $2 billion per day. There are 140,000 miles of rail in the United States, which are operated by about 115,000 rail workers. This network serves "nearly every agricultural, industrial, wholesale, retail and resource-based sector of our economy." Passenger rail would also stop, disrupting hundreds of thousands of commuters.

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Judd Legum Nov 29, 2022

2. The argument advanced by corporate lobbying groups is that rail workers are ESSENTIAL and a strike would be an ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE

But if these workers are so essential, shouldn't they get a few paid sick days?

Railroading workers

Railroad workers across the country are threatening to go on strike on December 9, delivering a potentially crippling blow to the American economy. According to the Association of American Railroads, a nationwide rail shutdown could cost more than $2 billion per day. There are 140,000 miles of rail in the United States, which are operated by about 115,000 rail workers. This network serves "nearly every agricultural, industrial, wholesale, retail and resource-based sector of our economy." Passenger rail would also stop, disrupting hundreds of thousands of commuters.

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Judd Legum Nov 29, 2022

3. The railroad companies can certainly afford it.

Providing 15 days of paid sick leave would cost the industry roughly $688 million per year

Last year, railroad companies generated over $23 BILLION in profit

Railroading workers

Railroad workers across the country are threatening to go on strike on December 9, delivering a potentially crippling blow to the American economy. According to the Association of American Railroads, a nationwide rail shutdown could cost more than $2 billion per day. There are 140,000 miles of rail in the United States, which are operated by about 115,000 rail workers. This network serves "nearly every agricultural, industrial, wholesale, retail and resource-based sector of our economy." Passenger rail would also stop, disrupting hundreds of thousands of commuters.

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Judd Legum Nov 29, 2022

4. To put this in perspective, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owns BNSF, one of the nation's largest rail companies

One day last week, Buffett's net worth increased by $1.38 BILLION. That's enough to pay for 15 DAYS of paid sick leave for the entire workforce for two years

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Brian Dear Nov 29, 2022

@juddlegum And then there are days when BRKA stock falls, and on those days you and Robert Reich are strangely quiet about billionaires’ net worths plunging. It’s a tired, ineffective populist argument. As a journalist you should be able to come up with something more compelling and convincing.

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MaryPot Nov 29, 2022

@brianstorms @juddlegum

Billionairs can afford to lose theoretical net worth by hundreds of millions without batting an eyelash.

Why should we feel sorry for them?

Feeling sorry for workers who work HARD - earning a billionair millions of actual money - without being able to stay home and not infect others when they are sick - is what people with empathy do when someone or some many are being abused by big business moguls.

Slavery IS illegal in the USA, right?