the economy is at risk. there are a substantial number of people on the republican side who feel like we need to stand with the workers and stay out of it. leader mcconnell and i agreed we d try to get it done asap. dana: lawmakers under mounting pressure to head off a rail strike that could cripple the economy. we want to bring in a leader of one union. how does the scheduling work for a rail worker and how it s tough on families of rail workers because their schedules can be unpredictable and what the paid sick leave issue is all about? thanks for having me on, dana. the railroads have cut to bare bones under an operating system that they have called psr. members have been reduced significantly. the workers have much fewer operating with the same type of rail traffic. so in other words, we have a lot
the second lowest paid out of the 12. i seen some numbers rolling around out there. they say a maintenance worker makes about 130,000 dollars a year with benefits. a track maintenance worker would have to work over 3000 years a year to make 130,000 dollars if you are including benefits and there. they still will not be anywhere close near that $160,000 a year in income and less they simply live their entire lives out on the railroad. that is exactly what is going on right now. i have watched their coworkers get slashed from the workforce over the last seven years. now they are left maintaining the track structure under pretty much the same rail traffic. doing a lot more work with a lot less people. it s been ruining their lives for the last seven years. the railroads just continue to rankin record offense.
dollars of rewards, and the employees have only seen a slight increase in wages to keep up with the increases, the cost of living over time. and so these employees have also watched a third of their co-workers go away. so these employees have been asked to do more work, maintaining the same infrastructure under the same rail traffic all for what they would deem very little reward. i would happen to agree very strongly with this. so it s time for the railroads to do the right thangd pony up the money and provide paid sick days. we have been trying to get paid sick days for almost 50 years now. 50 years is long enough to wait for paid sick days. peter, i know some of the members of your union wanted to accept the most recent terms that were presented. i am wondering what your message is to them and how you would describe the mood of your union. so our members continue to be very frustrated. that sentiment has not changed. there is a portion of the membership out there that is