On or around the end of February, KCS senior management and Labor Relations approached the Committee to inquire about the possibility of reaching an agreement for the limited use of contractors to perform certain crossing installations on its system. The committee reached out to local officers to discuss this possibility and to prepare to enter negotiations with the KCS on that topic. While it seems there is a fair amount of resistance to the general idea of contractors for construction work on the KCS, which is understandable, there is an important concept to remember — “never say never.”
It is perfectly understandable that we all generally detest the thought of “scabs” doing our work. That is a fundamental viewpoint shared by most Union members. But we should never be so closed off to an idea that we refuse to negotiate with the Carrier. It is only when they want and need something badly that we get the best deal. That wide expanse that exists between their appetite for something and our reluctance for the same, is usually filled with tangible items of value to the members, e.g., cold hard cash. The wider the void between the two, the more cash it takes to fill it.