“Congress can fix this with one easy bill:

Mandate that employers in any "critical infrastructure industry" must grant their employees a minimum of 7 paid personal/sick days per year. Done. The Railroads don't want to give up a penny of their BILLIONS in profits, so MAKE them. Don't force the workers into slavery conditions instead.

Mandate the sick time and the rest of the negotiations are fine. No strike. Workers are happy. Rail barons are slightly miffed at making 15 BILLION rather than 20 BILLION, but they'll get over it.“

“Y'know, it's almost like we should mandate that every worker deserves time off/sick leave, but that'd make us socialists like those dirty Europeans or something.“

“Fuck this goddamn country. If getting paid sick leave makes us socialist then fuck it I am one. Fuck the capitalists and their profits.“

“Im down for that! Fuck the capitalist profits, treat us like godamn human beings, not mindless cogs in the capitalist machine!“

…and there’s so many more just like that.

  • blight [he/him]
    ·
    2 years ago

    And also a few well intentioned people glancing longingly at "Europe" as if the situation there is much different :bruh-moment:

    • SoyViking [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Europe sucks in a lot of ways and is moving towards a dark place but conditions for workers there are a lot better than in the US.

      US rail workers are fighting to go from no to fourteen sick days. As a worker in a European country I have 120.

      • THC
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        deleted by creator

        • Ligma_Male [comrade/them]
          ·
          2 years ago

          if your company has an org chart it's also a list of who you'd need to beat to get those

        • ComradeGuts [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          2 years ago

          I know a couple companies that do 8 weeks paid vacation each year (with the option of getting another 2 weeks of unpaid vacation if you want it)

        • TraschcanOfIdeology [they/them, comrade/them]
          ·
          edit-2
          2 years ago

          I just applied for a job AT A NONPROFIT in Germany with 30 days paid vacation (not including holidays/sick days). The downside is that I'd have to live in Germany, but yknow.

          If this is the sector that's constantly strapped for cash and known for not paying a lot, idk what other workers get.

    • Coolkidbozzy [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Their unions are stronger, which is certainly something to be jealous about in our shared hellworld

      I wish I was unionized

    • penguin_von_doom [she/her]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Depending on where, but on most places you have free healthcare and decent holidays, and protections. Not to mention that Labour is more organized.

      • blight [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        I'd just say that is based on outdated information. While the zombies of those institutions still haunt the world, their insides are rotted away and keep rotting away more every day.

        • pimpsandchuds [des/pair]
          ·
          2 years ago

          millenials looking at europe like it's still 2004 and we travel with canadian patches on our backpacks

          • blight [he/him]
            ·
            2 years ago

            bro, 2004 was only like, 5 years ago. chill