Railroaders' Nostalgia > The Class Ones declare war

Well the day has come. 10/03/19, the Carriers declare war on the TE&Y crafts. We knew that PTC wasn't going to get shoved down the Carriers throat to the tune of billions without the Railroads wanting their pound of flesh in return. Combined with PSR(har, har) it is open season on ALL the crafts. I have too many years to go to retirement but have more than 20 in so I am really....... in a bad place. Oh well at least Wall Street will get another bailout when the economy tanks in the next couple of years and the hedge fund managers can retire at 45 to a nice little private island in the Caribbean with their wives and girlfriends. YOUR results, on the other hand, may vary.

It's going to get ugly this time.

I do not see this ending well for railroaders. Brakemen were already on a banana peel. Now they want to tie the conductors to the brakemen on that banana peel. Can't imagine engineers would be far behind. For those that haven't heard...

The Unions side...

https://smart-union.org/news/td-ready-to-respond-as-carriers-once-again-attack-crew-consist/
https://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=55772

The railroads side...

http://www.raillaborfacts.org/news/railroads-file-lawsuit-confirm-negotiation-rights-staffing/

Just remember that, with each passing day, you are accruing seniority.  You have more job security than all the people below you on the seniority roster.  When you're maybe fifth from the bottom, that will be the time to hit the panic button.  

Worst case scenario, similar to what happened to the firemen back in 1963 who had their positions abolished, the Carriers will more than likely find some other type of work for you to do.  Most of those displaced firemen were able to finish off long careers at the railroad if they so chose to do so.    

Yeah, but things are a lot different than in 63. Railroads were actually interested in making money at that time, not squeezing money out of assets to please Wall Street as the only goal. I have 10 years to 60 so am worried that I'm working for a industry that is hell bent on suicide and I don't see anybody running up to put the straight jacket on. 

Another reminder to get down and kiss the ground that I never went to work for a Railroad.   

Indeed the fates smiled upon you.

Posted from iPhone

I have that at least one Class 1 would like to get out of the nationally negotiated health insurance policy.

Posted from iPhone

I have 21 in with 19 years and 7 months to go. I'm worried with the next massive cuts, rrb is gonna be hurting to stay alive. The carriers would love to get rid of that to cut their payroll even more. It's been time to walk out for most of these unions. The carriers haven't been honest or doing anything in good faith for a long time. The only power a union has is to strike. This may be the final battle for this career.

Joe

Every contract, same gloom and doom "the sky is falling" mentality. I don't doubt conductors on through freight are going to be a hot point of discussion but don't write them off yet. I do believe engineers, in a form, will be around for a long time - too many issues with having nobody on a train.

Posted from Android

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Every contract, same gloom and doom "the sky is
> falling" mentality. I don't doubt conductors on
> through freight are going to be a hot point of
> discussion but don't write them off yet. I do
> believe engineers, in a form, will be around for a
> long time - too many issues with having nobody on
> a train.
>
> Posted from Android

But will they be "engineers" or just a low paid "train operator" monitoring the computer running the train.

Someone earlier posted about at least you have your seniority.  However, seniority is only good if it's a union job.  With every large cut to the employment of the TY&E crafts, there are fewer and fewer jobs that a carrier needs to fill with management in a case of a strike.  In this situation, it's getting more likely that the carriers will tell the striking employees that they no longer have employment with that carrier.  The union days may be numbered...

i'd like to ask all of those in favor of this who they THINK will be paying for their r.r. retirement benefits when the amount of workers paying into r.r. retirement could be reduced?

66 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/19 20:04 by goneon66.

The first shots of this war were fired 10-31-1986. Just remember who appoints the arbitrators to the labor boards and vote accordingly.

Oh yeah, the “Halloween” agreement in the dark of night! What’s crazy about this is the Carriers don’t even realize we have hit bone as far as staffing goes. The carriers have had a mindset since the late 50s of “cut people, cut people ad nauseum” well there is a finite point in cutting crews but R.R. mgmt always thinks 20 years behind the times. Working in this industry is frustrating beyond comprehension ☹️

Posted from iPhone

This isn't the first time the carriers have sued the UTU over the crew consist agreements, each past attempt being unsucessful. Probably the only difference this time around is that they filed in the Northern District of Texas court where they have some reliable anti-labor judges in their back pocket.

Trainhand Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The first shots of this war were fired 10-31-1986.
> Just remember who appoints the arbitrators to the
> labor boards and vote accordingly.

It may also be useful to remember who mandated the technology that is rendering some (not all) of these jobs superfluous. The railroads didn't want to buy it back when they had the choice.

I don't work for a railroad but, I can see where the unions will fight this to the end. Some more  "Wall Street" stuff.

As a 40 year rail shipper - now retired (thank God); I will surprise the old rails on here by saying I hope the unions fight this.

I know in the chemical industry where I spent the last 22 years of my career; the level of stupidity coming from senior management had no apparent limits; each year they tried to outdo themselves from the previous year.

And frankly; I see the same level of idiocy in Class 1 senior management now.

I’m with the Brotherhoods on this one!

Posted from iPhone

I support union but to a point, firemen were just extra personel on diesels were they not offered other positons when they were not needed? 

Back when the BART subway system was implemented in San Francisco, it was a fully computerized operation with a 'driver' aboard 'just in case'.  That was 1980, give or take.  The automation didn't work terribly well and was abandoned perhaps 5-6 years later.  Washington DC did the same, but the operator simply opened and closed the doors.  I think that is still the case today, but they've had a number of computer failures that caused wrecks.  Vancouver BC has had an fully automated subway/elevated system since the late '70s.  I've heard of zero problems with them and there never was any 'operator' aboard any of them.  Fully automated people movers are at a variety of airports as well as downtown Miami.

But all of those automated operations have ZERO grade crossings with highways or other railroads.  They also operate on 100% 'secured' rights of way that prevent all except very intentional intrusions to the right-of-way. 

Automated cars and trucks have reached the point of almost ready for full implementation.  They have pretty much perfected the 'art' of driving down a street and being capable of handling everything from cars running stop lights to kids running out in the roadway.  But how will they do in freezing rain or in a storm that knocks down a tree 10 feet in front of them?

Sadly, in todays' world, 'employees' are considered to be expendable and should be eliminated as much as possible.  Computers have gotten to the point they are so very close to taking over the right seat on trains.  And 'roving conductors' can be summoned when an airhose breaks and the train goes into emergency.  At least, that's the goal of management.

I have little doubt that the corporate bigwigs dream of the day when they will have fewer than 100 salaried managers & vice presidents and computers do everything else while they pocket untold wealth for 'being smart'.  What they don't want to think about is what will many millions of displaced, unemployed workers will require from goverment just to survive and what those former workers might do to meet their needs.