Podcast by America’s Work Force Union.
AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed how precision scheduled railroading has exacerbated the supply chain crisis and subjected railway workers to grueling schedules with little sick time.
Precision scheduled railroading simplifies routing networks with a focus on point-to-point freight car transportation.
The nation’s labor shortage, which led to the supply chain crisis, is not something that happened overnight, Regan explained. Its roots actually go back six to eight years when rail companies cut 20 to 30 percent of their workforce in an effort to run a barebones crew, lower costs and maximize profits. When the economy reopened after the pandemic, the demand for cargo surged, with fewer workers to handle the load. The supply chain crisis is a direct result of CEOs treating the nation’s railroads like a hedge fund, he added.
Read and Listen to more here.