notes for a Tuesday -- labor union rights in the US, and zero COVID in China
Given my work schedule, I can either run my 6 miles right now, or at lunch. The temperature will be much better at lunch, so that's when I'll try it.
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I think one of the most important rights for a labor union, if not the most important right, is the right to strike. Rail workers are preparing to strike because of how little sick leave they get -- actually, they get zero paid sick leave. ZERO. A so-called "deal" that was "brokered" by the Biden administration would give rail workers one day of paid leave per year, that can only be scheduled from Tuesday through Thursday, or on their birthday. Because people only get sick on those days.
Major rail unions voted to reject this offer, and are set to strike in a couple weeks. But now President Biden is calling upon Congress to force the "deal" upon rail workers and to forbid a strike. Biden says it would be too costly to the economy to allow rail workers to strike, especially right now. But if rail workers are that important, why aren't they allowed paid leave?
As a federal worker I get 13 days of paid sick leave per year. The average adult gets 2-3 colds per year, each lasting about a week. It would be entirely normal for an average adult to require 13 days of paid sick leave per year. So why can't rail workers have paid sick leave?
The rail companies argue that they can't just stop all the trains every time a few workers feel sick. So ... hire enough workers to allow a percentage of them to be sick?
I'll be writing my Congress people to complain about this -- don't force a deal on labor unions, allow them to strike for the pay and benefits they deserve.
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And the mainstream press are bashing China for its zero-COVID policy again, highlighting that some people in China are protesting the policy. I'm not generally a China fan, because I prefer a free press and a multi-party democracy, with separation of powers, but it shows how the corporate-owned and advertising-funded media in the US care far more about promoting economic activity than promoting a healthy workplace. Oh no, Apple is facing shortages of iPhones because of COVID cases in China! Oh no! People in the US might not be able to give their children new iPhones for Christmas! We therefore must allow more Chinese people to die from COVID, as we allowed more US people to die from COVID.
1,079,197 deaths in the US
1,174,113 deaths in the EU
5,232 deaths in China
Those are the official figures. If you don't believe the official figures, The Economist magazine independently estimates the death rate from COVID per 100,000 residents has been 9x higher in the US than in China.
I'll criticize my own country when warranted, and I'll praise our rivals when warranted. China has the lowest estimated death rate from COVID of any major non-island nation in the world. I think that's something to take pride in, even if it means some people have to wait a bit for their new iPhones.
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Plus, if we care so much about freedom in the US, as compared to China, why won't we allow our rail workers to strike? Perhaps because the only freedoms we care about in the US are the freedoms of the oligarchs to increase their profits. Whether it is labor rights, or a pandemic, profits must come first in the US. That's what we call freedom.
-----
I think one of the most important rights for a labor union, if not the most important right, is the right to strike. Rail workers are preparing to strike because of how little sick leave they get -- actually, they get zero paid sick leave. ZERO. A so-called "deal" that was "brokered" by the Biden administration would give rail workers one day of paid leave per year, that can only be scheduled from Tuesday through Thursday, or on their birthday. Because people only get sick on those days.
Major rail unions voted to reject this offer, and are set to strike in a couple weeks. But now President Biden is calling upon Congress to force the "deal" upon rail workers and to forbid a strike. Biden says it would be too costly to the economy to allow rail workers to strike, especially right now. But if rail workers are that important, why aren't they allowed paid leave?
As a federal worker I get 13 days of paid sick leave per year. The average adult gets 2-3 colds per year, each lasting about a week. It would be entirely normal for an average adult to require 13 days of paid sick leave per year. So why can't rail workers have paid sick leave?
The rail companies argue that they can't just stop all the trains every time a few workers feel sick. So ... hire enough workers to allow a percentage of them to be sick?
I'll be writing my Congress people to complain about this -- don't force a deal on labor unions, allow them to strike for the pay and benefits they deserve.
-----
And the mainstream press are bashing China for its zero-COVID policy again, highlighting that some people in China are protesting the policy. I'm not generally a China fan, because I prefer a free press and a multi-party democracy, with separation of powers, but it shows how the corporate-owned and advertising-funded media in the US care far more about promoting economic activity than promoting a healthy workplace. Oh no, Apple is facing shortages of iPhones because of COVID cases in China! Oh no! People in the US might not be able to give their children new iPhones for Christmas! We therefore must allow more Chinese people to die from COVID, as we allowed more US people to die from COVID.
1,079,197 deaths in the US
1,174,113 deaths in the EU
5,232 deaths in China
Those are the official figures. If you don't believe the official figures, The Economist magazine independently estimates the death rate from COVID per 100,000 residents has been 9x higher in the US than in China.
I'll criticize my own country when warranted, and I'll praise our rivals when warranted. China has the lowest estimated death rate from COVID of any major non-island nation in the world. I think that's something to take pride in, even if it means some people have to wait a bit for their new iPhones.
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Plus, if we care so much about freedom in the US, as compared to China, why won't we allow our rail workers to strike? Perhaps because the only freedoms we care about in the US are the freedoms of the oligarchs to increase their profits. Whether it is labor rights, or a pandemic, profits must come first in the US. That's what we call freedom.