Brotherhood of Maintenance union workers spent Friday morning picketing as they fight for paid sick days. Representative Johnny Long says these employees work on the railway terminal and are tired of the choice between using vacation time when sick or working through illness.
"On the railroad a lot of times what you do is you come to work, you get in a truck with numerous people side by side, you can't get away from them and work by yourself," Long said. He adds "it's not something you can stay at home and do either. We're just wanting to have sick days where if someone is sick, they stay home."
Sean Malone
Long says currently, union workers are told to take vacation days when they are sick.
"If you're off sick they want you to use vacation days. We all know being sick is not a vacation."
According to Long, their workers only receive a week of vacation after their first year.
He says they aren't negotiating currently but the union is planning to serve section six notices this fall. Section six notices are how Railway Labor Unions initiate collective bargaining over changes to their agreement. The picket was held Friday morning outside the Lacledes Gas and Light Company Building on Olive St.
