Largest Amtrak union won't join work stoppage
The Transportation Communications Union said the one-day work stoppage was counter-productive to its stated purpose of prodding Congress for more funding.
The union representing half of Amtrak's unionized employees said Tuesday it won't participate in a work stoppage planned for next week to draw attention to the railroad's funding problems said the Associated Press. The Transportation Communications Union said the one-day work stoppage was counter-productive to its stated purpose of prodding Congress to pass the highest possible federal subsidy for Amtrak operations. The union, which represents 10,000 Amtrak employees, said some lawmakers "will not give in to what they perceive as strong-arm tactics by labor." In addition, some supporters are concerned "that they might lose swing votes that are necessary to keep Amtrak alive," the union said in a statement posted on its Website. Six other Amtrak unions representing more than 5,000 of Amtrak's 18,500 unionized workers announced that their members would stay off the jobs Oct. 3 to protest efforts by the Bush administration and House Republicans to block additional funding, said the AP. Amtrak officials are considering seeking a court injunction to block the work stoppage, which they termed an illegal strike, spokesman Clifford Black said.
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