Eastern Railroad Discussion > Foote calls for fundamental change in relationship with union

CSX's CEO says he wants a better union relationship

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/csxs-foote-calls-for-fundamental-change-in-relationship-with-union-workers/

Instead of giving his employees the "foote", he might consider extending the hand to greet them and listen to them with his ears.  

It's an interesting gambit, that's for sure.  But, there's a wide gap between "understanding employees want a life outside of work" and actually changing the structure of the company to make that happen. With the union, he can make it happen.  But, history says this is just puffery. Empty words.

My wife was an HR director in a major healthcare system when they actually made a similar transition two decades ago. The flagship hospital couldn't staff overnights or late night weekends. People hated the work, and went elsewhere. The hospital put in over night childcare onsite for their employee families, paid 50% bonus for working two overnight 12 hour shifts on the weekend, basically full weekly pay for two long days work. It was a wrenching change, but it worked. Shifts were staffed with experienced people, and many employees liked being home with their families, going to little league, church, etc.

I don't see railroads stepping up to make that kind of change. Paying people super-premium pay for hard to fill work slots, and letting people have five days off out of every seven. It's not in railroad management DNA to "over staff". They won't even maintain an adequately staffed stand-by extra board.

So, I call BS on Jim Foote. No doubt he's still smarting about what can only be described as a management debacle in front of Congress last week.

He could start with bargaining in good faith and giving them the first pay raise in nearly 3 years instead of dragging it out. Would be a nice good faith effort.

He could direct his labor relations people to talk with BLET & SMART-TD tomorrow & implement some reasonable things already in their agreements.

Everyone would agree things should change & not be so at odds.  However, his definitions of changes desired to the RLA & FELA are likely going to be very different from the changes labor would entertain to the RLA & I don't think any labor folks desire changes to FELA.  The trains article did not mention what RLA or FELA changes are, so until there is more context, it's just a talking point.

He showed his ass at the STB hearings by saying let us run one man crews.

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> He could start with bargaining in good faith and
> giving them the first pay raise in nearly 3 years
> instead of dragging it out. Would be a nice good
> faith effort.

Good faith and propaganda are mutually exclusive.

TAW

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> He could start with bargaining in good faith and
> giving them the first pay raise in nearly 3 years
> instead of dragging it out. Would be a nice good
> faith effort.

Foote showing his true colors at the hearing is right. Just MORE hot air....

Posted from Android

Foote gave a good speech.  Soon we'll see if it was just words or if there really will be changes.   His speech immediately followed a presentation by mega rail shipper (and one the the Passenger Train board's favorite villains) Koch Logistics, so it's possible that his "We Suck" speech was in response to the Koch beat down he received minutes before vs. being what he had planned all along - he and his speech writers would probably the only ones to know that.  To Foote's credit, we was here and took questions and has been accessible.   John Orr of KCS gave a good presentation - was a couple presentations after Foote, and had a feel of "Look how much better we planned for recovery that our friends at CSX and rest of industry" feel to it.  Katie Farmer was a no show, having airplane problems (company jet i assume) so she gave her presentation by Zoom.   BNSF Intermodal was well represented as they had a joint presentation with JB Hunt's CEO, which essentially made BNSF Intermodal appear to be a wholly owned subsidiary of JB Hunt.  Rumor is Keith Creel will be a no show today and send a proxy.  UP and NS are conspicuous with absence.  

Here are some of the slides from the Koch presentation

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Electronic message truck outside venue

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View of the small but vocal protest, right before a few of them flipped the bird.  (I must look like Foote or something).  

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I like the "fat cat" inflatable. Very clever.  It's great that the membership is taking the war to the people who can change the company's direction. Maybe picketing offices, country clubs, homes, etc of corporate executives, directors, and investment funds are next on the table

They're not doing the blow up dolls again, are they? I thought we were past that nonsense.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> I like the "fat cat" inflatable. Very clever. 
> It's great that the membership is taking the war
> to the people who can change the company's
> direction. Maybe picketing offices, country clubs,
> homes, etc of corporate executives, directors, and
> investment funds are next on the table

Yup. Definitely a "fat cat" in a three piece suit and spats.

They attract media attention, which is one goal of protesting.

Posted from Android

Warren Buffet also qualifies as a "fat cat".  Funny how he doesn't attract half the bitterness.  

memphisfreight Wrote:
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> Warren Buffet also qualifies as a "fat cat". 
> Funny how he doesn't attract half the
> bitterness.  

Some would disagree with you...

BNSF isn't being run by Wall Street either (at least directly anyway).

They have just unofficially adopted the "PSR Kool-Aid nonsense".

Posted from Android

as a die hard PSR follower of hh, who gave him permission to actually think on his own?

Sex, blow-up dolls.... LOL

Victor B.

Lkirts Wrote:
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> They're not doing the blow up dolls again, are
> they? I thought we were past that nonsense.
>
>

The KBX slide noted above mentions the railroads "need to get past the furlough mentality" and build a culture of retention. The slide also notes that experience isn't generated overnight, and the railroads have lost too much experience.

That's a topic on its own, turning the last 175 years of US railroading on its head...

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Sex, blow-up dolls.... LOL
>
> Victor B.
>
> Lkirts Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They're not doing the blow up dolls again, are
> > they? I thought we were past that nonsense.
> >
> >

Only dolls there where the 2 puddy-tats.  Here's a broader picture of the site showing all 32 picketers.  If goal was to draw attention, it failed.  No local media coverage.  Trains had a corespondent at meeting who to seem to ignore it.  Most attendees of meeting where already aware of problem AND on for most part on labor's side.  Only coverage I have seen is my pictures here on T/O, which earned me the coveted one figure salute, a gift I will always treasure!   As I stated earlier in post, Foote at least had the intestinal fortitude to show up in person and take his lumps.  CP and BNSF sent proxies to take the beating, while NS, UP, and CN where non participants 

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