Rather than push for nationalization, labor should push for the RLA to be abolished. Nationalizing the railroads brings up another hurdle; federal employees are aren't allowed to strike. That's a second order effect that could potentially harm rail workers.
Working in aviation my whole adult life, the act is everything you (and others) have said it is--it completely tilts power in favor of the company. There is very little incentive to bargain in good faith, or even bargain at all. Moving all workers to NLRB rules would be a (relatively) huge gain.
That's a great point! In my mind, I think the fact that the RLA exists at all is the crux of the issue — some industries are so vital to the continuation of our economy and society that worker rights can't be "risked." America's approach to this is to bar those workers from collective action (through the RLA and the ban on striking for federal employees, as you mentioned).
I think for our economy to continue undisturbed and to protect workers, these should be some of the highest paying, best benefit jobs. The kind people fight tooth and nail to get, and few would want to strike for. But of course, that requires a substantial shift in our thinking from prioritizing the "profit model" to prioritizing the "public good."
Rather than push for nationalization, labor should push for the RLA to be abolished. Nationalizing the railroads brings up another hurdle; federal employees are aren't allowed to strike. That's a second order effect that could potentially harm rail workers.
Working in aviation my whole adult life, the act is everything you (and others) have said it is--it completely tilts power in favor of the company. There is very little incentive to bargain in good faith, or even bargain at all. Moving all workers to NLRB rules would be a (relatively) huge gain.
That's a great point! In my mind, I think the fact that the RLA exists at all is the crux of the issue — some industries are so vital to the continuation of our economy and society that worker rights can't be "risked." America's approach to this is to bar those workers from collective action (through the RLA and the ban on striking for federal employees, as you mentioned).
I think for our economy to continue undisturbed and to protect workers, these should be some of the highest paying, best benefit jobs. The kind people fight tooth and nail to get, and few would want to strike for. But of course, that requires a substantial shift in our thinking from prioritizing the "profit model" to prioritizing the "public good."