Rail unions adopt resolution calling for paid sick leave

Twelve rail labor unions late last week adopted a resolution that calls for the nation's freight railroads to give all railroad workers paid sick leave.

The resolution claims that the majority of rail workers don't have paid sick leave and are all subject to discipline for work absences due to illness and injury.

"The lack of paid sick leave for all railroad workers, 30 years following the passage of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), is unacceptable," the unions' resolution stated.

"All of rail labor is united and resolved to fight for paid sick leave for all railroad workers through collective bargaining or voluntary agreement," the unions added.

The unions will also call on Congress to pass a paid sick leave law that covers all rail workers and eliminates penalties and punishments for using that time, according to the resolution.

"A worker should not be fired for going to the doctor," said Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, in a press release.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) announced they are working on legislation to lower the required hours of eligibility for leave rights under FMLA or include alternative means for rail workers who work on-call to qualify, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen officials said in a press release.

Time waiting for a call to work or staying in company lodging on-call should count toward workers' FMLA eligibility, BLET officials said. Currently, eligibility requires that an employee must have been employed by the same employer for at least 12 months and that the employee was employed for at least 1,250 hours of service during those 12 months.