Nostalgia & History > SP Coast Route; Clerk's Strike 9-28-1978 Scanner Audio

In this recording, a two-day strike begins by the Clerk's union, with several conversations recorded from the SP road radio channel as well as radio-telephone calls on the Santa Ynez and Oat Mountain PBX channels. Talk between the SP LA Coast Dispatcher (Mike Chavez) and a couple of trains, conversations between Trainmaster Bill Giles and Assistant Trainmaster George Todd (SP LA 42), plus the Southern Pacific Los Angeles (Telephone) Operator connecting a call to San Luis Obispo (6224 on the LA exchange, or 57 on the Watsonville exchange). A few references are made to getting someone to the Oxnard station to clear the APB signal which would allow eastbound (southward) trains to run from Montalvo to Oxnard. First LA 42 was asked to drive down to handle the APB, but eventually the signal supervisor was contacted to clear the signal. Sounds like main concern was to make sure the signal was cleared for Amtrak train number 12, the eastbound Amtrak Coast Starlight. Freights would flag the signals if need be. At one point, Mr. Giles says the signal needs to be cleared for number 13, however, the strike didn't affect this part of the railroad until 13 was already well beyond Santa Barbara.

The Dispatcher also has some discussion with SP First 832, the day's OALAT, which went by Santa Barbara about 2:40PM. On the Oat Mountain (Los Angeles area) PBX a brief discussion is heard regarding airline flights for a couple of managers that needed to go to St. Louis because of the strike.

Finally, SP Santa Barbara Operator Dick Reid is talking with the conductor on First 832, and then the dispatcher is giving a train order via radio to the SP Extra 8422 West with wait times for train 12 at Ortega, Seacliff, and Ventura. Ortega was the siding at Summerland, between East Santa Barbara and Seacliff. Extra 8422 West met First 832 at Oxnard.

Enjoy the chatter. Parts 2 and 3 will be combined on my next post.

espee51
Nick

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

"We better do the best we can with what we got" Rodger-10-4

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Great stuff! Mike Chavez was a good friend and always handled everything in a very professional manner as evidenced in these clips. Rest in peace Mike!

With so many employees working as clerks, there was no shortage of pickets when this strike occurred. They were everywhere that others went on and off duty, often in groups of 3 or more. It came as no surprise. First we were already on notice that a strike might soon occur. Then we went to “Yellow Alert” and within 48 hours it was “Red Alert”, which meant that, as officers, you must be available by radio or telephone at all times, on or off duty. But as soon as the clerks went back to work everything smoothed out and we all were happy railroaders, working well together. I think the next craft to strike were the engineers a couple of years later, in which there were some inter-craft hard feelings.

I show the strike starting in the Bay Area on 9-26 and ending on 9-29

Pete is sure right. Mike was absolutely the best! Working with him was a pleasure.

These recordings are a trip!
G

I show I went to work at SLO on 9-26 to Wat Jct at 5:00 AM on the 9233 West, Tied up at Wat Jct. at 12:30 PM. No pickets. I did tell the crew dispatcher that if there was a picket line, I would honor it. No pickets.

Called on duty at Wat. Jct. at 6:30 AM on the 27th on the Extra 8873 East, tied up at SLO at 4:05 PM. I got 2 hours HAHT at the Jct. No Pickets

Nothing on the 28th but was called out of SLO at 4:00 PM on the 30th for the Extra 9395 West, tied up Wat. Jct at 10:45 PM. Then right back on my rest at 8:15 AM on the 1st with the 8872 East.

The carrier must have got an injunction around the 28th or 29th.

Now if you want to talk about a mess, try "Hate Week". That was the worst I have ever seen in all my years with the SP.


Nudge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/18 16:01 by spnudge.

Nudge, I think BRAC was doing selective picketing, a cat and mouse game with company, making them guess where the next pickets were going to show up. I know they hit the One Market on the morning of the 26th, Bay Area on the evening of the 26th. OP&C report showed normal day in Oregon, NorCal (outside of the Bay Area), NV and UT on the 27th. Just too many trains running to be done with Officer crews. Bakersfield was hit on the 27th and then everyone was down on the 28th.

Interesting to listen to the audio.

For those that don't know the reason for the strike, it had to do with N&W Clerk's Strike which had started on July 10, 1978 and was still going on with N&W handling an increasing fraction of its normal business every week with management crews. Toward the end of September, the Clerk's were able to extend the strike to other railroads based on the railroad industry strike insurance program. That created the national emergency which allowed President Carter to order everyone back to work.

I believe the next nationwide strike was in September 1982. It was a selective strike called by B&LE over its national bargaining and lasted maybe four or five days. I do not know why the union chose N&W to strike. The supervisors were back out running the railroad without hardly missing a beat.

Jack

I'm ignorant.
What's an APB (not an All Points Bulletin) ?
Thanx!
...Lorenzo

Absolute- Permissive Block. Operator Oxnard controls it

Here's some more detail on how the APB worked between Montalvo and Oxnard.

espee51
Nick

---