It absolutely is corporate greed rearing its head here (Railways are some of the most profitable industries in the US). Railways should carry more of the finan

It absolutely is corporate greed rearing its head here (Railways are some of the most profitable industries in the US). Railways should carry more of the financial weight that will cut into the profits. It should also be easier to hire people who want to work in these positions and staff beyond so that there is slack in the schedule and allow people to call in sick. However note that in industry where there is slack and a relaxing of licensure, this represents an attack on the protectionism of jobs that is built into existing contracts to make it harder to fire people. If you don't require licensure or as deep of training in spots, or have slack in the workforce, it becomes easier to fire people and that is something that is difficult for many union contracts to accept.