Borscht Wrote:
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> Systematically replacing union jobs basically.

Well, no. These are new jobs. And as Ron points out, if the new employees wish to unionize, they are free to do so.

Requests for proposals to build, operate and maintain this trackage were adverstised by the Port of Oakland a year or so ago. Don't know if UP or BNSF even submitted responses, but I kinda doubt it. UP has steadfastly refused to run trains in to or out of the OIG (except in dire emergencies like when the the ports of LA and LB have been shut down), while BNSF has refused to serve non-intermodal customers at the OIG such as Universal Cold Storage, which is why UP does it. UP's also tried to find a switching contractor to take over all work at the "chicken houses" at West Oakland in the past, but has been unsuccessful - so far.