Amtrak Workers Plan Strike to Protest Lack of Financing

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/17/politics/17AMTR.html?ex=1064376000&en=9419d76c8822fad8&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 — Six Amtrak unions are to announce on Wednesday that they will stop work on Oct. 3, shutting the railroad for the day, to protest Congress's failure to pass a $1.8 billion appropriation for the railroad for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

If carried out, it would be the first time Amtrak workers have walked off the job to protest Congressional policy. In the past, workers have struck over wages or other workplace issues.
(snip)........

Charles F. Moneypenny, the director of the Railroad Division of the Transport Workers Union, which represents 2,000 Amtrak car cleaners and on-board service personnel, said the object was to demonstrate Amtrak's importance.

We urgently need a good, well funded national passenger rail system in America. We have too many eggs in the commercial aviation basket.

My God -- I can't believe our government would actually allow our limited rail passenger service to bite the dust. What's their problem? Trains aren't eating up enough of that oil and gas to suit Cheney, Bush & Co?

We MUST contact our Congressfolk and let them know that passenger rail service MUST be supported!!

If the Republicans in congress think we can live with out Amtrak than a one day shut down should not matter. Lets see what happens. I think Amtrak will be missed on that one day more than the Repubs think.

We shall see.

not funding Amtrak is a big mistake. Just remove some
of that Halliburton goody bag.

lots, and lots of scabs.....He backed the airlines.

That is soo, soo good! :toast: