 The entire country, I think, was shocked to learn a number of months ago that your employees, rail workers, who work in dangerous, a dangerous job in all kinds of weather, had zero paid sick days. Now, I know that is beginning to change, but I would ask you, given the fact that Norfolk Southern provided $10 billion in stock buybacks recently, can you tell the American people and your employees right now that in order to improve morale in your workforce that you will guarantee at least seven paid sick days to the 15,000 workers you employ? I do know you've made some progress. You increased paid sick days for some of your workers. Will you do what most Americans think is pretty obvious that when you get sick, you get guaranteed paid sick days? Will you make that commitment right now to your entire workforce? Senator, with our latest agreement with our employees, which included a historic 24 percent wage increase and access to premium health care benefits, we immediately pivoted to talking to each of our local... I do want... I've been deeply involved. I introduced the amendment on the floor. I know the issue. But when I'm asking you right now, you provided paid sick days to some of your employees. I got it. Thank you. Will you now do what most Americans... We get here in Congress. Our employees get sick, they get paid sick days. Will you make that commitment right now to guarantee paid sick days to all of your workers? That's not a radical demand. It really is not. Will you make that commitment, sir? Senator, I share your focus on our employees. I will commit to continuing to discuss with them important quality of life issues with our local craft colleagues. Roll due respect. You sound like a politician here, Mr. Shaw. It's not that the paid sick days is not a radical concept in the year 2023. I am not hearing you make that commitment to guarantee that to all of your workers. Clearly we should have that for every worker in America. I'm not hearing that commitment. Will you make that commitment, sir? Senator, I'm committed to continuing to speak to our employees about quality of life issues that are important to them. All right. Well, I'm chairman of the Health Education Labor Committee. We look forward to having that discussion. You just watched Senator Bernie Sanders pressure Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw to give his employees paid sick time, but as you saw, he refused to commit to it. And I love that Bernie Sanders pointed out that the answers that he was giving made him sound like a politician because, as you saw, he refused to directly answer the question. Now, that's a common theme throughout this video. I'm going to show you more videos of progressive senators essentially taking turns dunking on him. But with each time that he opened his mouth, it was just nothing but disingenuity. Now what's interesting is that before he was set to testify before Congress, another one of his company's trains derailed, this time in Alabama. NBC News reports Norfolk Southern trained derails in Alabama hours before CEO testifies. Now thankfully, no chemicals were spilled this time, but I mean, with how frequently their trains are derailing, how long until we get the next East Palestine? Maybe if they spent all that money on lobbying on improving safety standards instead, the situation wouldn't be as dire for them. But he was asked about lobbying and as you're going to see, he plays dumb. I also note that since 2002, the rail industry has spent more than $650 million on federal lobbying with another $60 million spent on state lobbying. The five largest spenders were the Association of American Railroads, your major trade group, BNSF Railway, CSX Corporation, Union Pacific Corporation, and you can answer for me who is the fifth big spender. I'll give you a hint. It's Norfolk Southern. Do you know how much it was that Norfolk Southern spent on lobbying during that period? No, sorry, I don't. Okay. For the record, $69 million. Nice. Now, as you saw, he played dumb, which is predictable. He spent millions upon millions on lobbying, all money that could have been used to improve safety standards. But of course, this is a corporation and their number one goal is to increase profit. So that's what he's doing. But as you're going to see, he wouldn't commit to halting stock buybacks as well. Let's listen. In 2021, your company did $3.1 billion of stock buybacks. And in 2022, $3.4 billion of stock buybacks. And as of December, had another $7.5 billion available to do additional stock backs under the $10 billion stock back plan. That's quite impressive numbers for any American company. That indicates massive profits. Will you pledge today that you will do no more stock buybacks until a raft of safety measures have been completed to reduce the risk of derailments and crashes in the future? Senator, I will continue to invest in safety. We invest over $1 billion a year. You noted that you have a list of safety things you'd like to implement. Will you commit no more stock buybacks until those safety improvements are completed? Senator, I will commit to continuing to invest in safety. And you've seen over time the number of derailments, hazardous material releases, and personal injuries has declined. There's always more that we will do. And I am committed to having the best safety culture in the industry. You're coming here with 3D railments within three months, and the average in the industry is one per month for the entire industry. So congratulations on maybe some good luck over a few years. But at this moment, your team is the team that has the most derailments in the last three months. He won't commit to halting stock buybacks, but he can assure you that his company is very committed to increasing safety. Is that why your company is lobbying to deregulate the industry and reduce standards across the board? He's just so full of shit. It's insufferable to listen to him speak. And just to put into perspective how greedy his company is, More Perfect Union points out Norfolk Southern is the perfect example of rail company's misplaced priorities. In 2022, it gave $4.7 billion to wealthy shareholders, but it's offered just $1 million to East Palestine's residents. They're not alone. Railroads have become pawns of Wall Street. Here's how. In 2002, Norfolk Southern made $1.1 billion in operating profit and paid shareholders $101 million in stock buybacks and dividends. In 2022, Norfolk Southern made $4.8 billion in operating profit and paid shareholders $4.7 billion in stock buybacks and dividends. That's an increase of 4566%. So $4.7 billion goes to their wealthy shareholders and only $1 million goes to the residents of East Palestine who they poisoned. And what's funny is that that $1 million is much higher than the initial $25,000 donation to the Red Cross that the company initially pledged. They are so greedy. And if that wasn't infuriating enough, so he was asked if he would pay the full price for the mortgages, pay property value before the poisoning by his company to make it right. And as you're going to see, of course, he refused to commit to that as well. Will you commit to compensating effective homeowners for their diminished property values? Senator, I'm committing to do what's right. Well, what's right is a family that had a home worth $100,000, that is now worth $50,000. We'll probably never be able to sell that home for $100,000 again. Will you compensate that family for that loss? Senator, I'm committing to do what's right all the time. What is the right thing to do? These are the people who are innocent victims, Mr. Shaw. These people were just there at home, and all of a sudden, their small businesses, their homes are forever going to have been diminished in value. Norfolk Southern owes these people. This criminal refuses to give a straight answer on anything. Just $1 million is all he's pledging to the victims of his company, but millions upon millions for lobbying, deregulation, billions in stock buybacks to shareholders. It's just, how can you allow this to continue? There needs to be real accountability, and when I say real accountability, I don't mean a slap on the wrist. I don't mean a fine. Charging him for criminal negligence and nationalizing Norfolk Southern. This company has demonstrated time and again that they are incapable of operating independently. So the government must step in. It has a responsibility to step in and stop this company as it currently operates as a means of protecting future citizens from poisoning. Because again, we saw one East Palestine wins the next train going to derail with chemicals and poison another town. We can't continue to allow this company to operate in the way that it has been. Government has an obligation to protect people, and that means that if necessary, well, you nationalize them. You jail the crooks at the company, at the top, who pushed for deregulation, who refused to pay their workers well, who refused to increase safety standards. But it was admittedly satisfying to see progressive senators kind of take turns dunking on him, grilling him. So the day it doesn't change the fact that he still evaded most of these questions and probably won't face any real accountability and won't do what's right by the residents of East Palestine who his company poisoned. And that just makes this story really infuriating overall. But there's nothing left to say. This is a common phenomenon in the United States and corporate CEOs can get away with doing whatever they want so long as they continue to bribe politicians. So yeah.