US rail-union deal showcases labour angst beyond wages

Bloomberg

The key issue that almost triggered the first US railroad strike in 30 years and threatened
to hobble the economy wasn’t wages, but sick leave, highlighting broadening worker demands in a tight labour market.
Union leaders and railway companies agreed on a deal that includes language allowing workers to take time off for doctor appointments, hospitalisation or surgeries, on top of a 24% wage hike over five years.
About 125,000 rail workers will vote on whether to ratify the deal, which was brokered by the Biden administration, in coming weeks. That will serve as a gauge on how sensitive the issue remains in the wake of the tentative agreement.
With job vacancies at almost double the number of job seekers, conditions have tilted toward workers in a way unseen in decades. Employees in many industries are pressing not just for wage gains to cover the surge in the cost of living, but also supplementary benefits that companies have denied.
Basic medical time off and other benefits have increasingly been a focus for American workers. This year alone, health and safety issues have driven more than 150 labor actions — including strikes and walkouts — according to Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker.
“The employer could always throw a little more money to wages, but these kinds of changes are more complicated, and they’re less willing to do that,” said Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of labor education research at Cornell University, underscoring the importance of the latest deal. “They’re the kind of issues that really motivate workers to take action.”
Democrats attempted unsuccessfully to include four weeks of paid parental and medical leave for workers who don’t receive such a benefit from their employers in legislation over the past year. The US stands out from developed-country peers in lacking that sort of a leave policy, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Some rail workers including engineers and machinists tend to engage in long shifts and often spend weeks away from their families. Unions representing these workers doubled down on health and safety benefits throughout the two-year long negotiations.