Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Offers Bonuses for Temporary Crew Transfers

 CSX is offering train and engine workers bonuses to temporarily relocate to terminals along its Water Level Route where crew shortages have become acute.
Trains magazine reported on its website that the bonuses would be paid to workers agreeing to work up to six months at the New York terminals of Buffalo, Syracuse and Selkirk, or at West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Workers would receive a $5,000 bonus once they qualify on their new territories and $17,000 after six months of service.

The Trains story noted that CSX management had expected an ongoing shortage of crews at Selkirk to ease after Labor Day when the summer vacation season ends. But the shortages continued and, in fact, became worse.
The Class 1 railroad also is offering $5,000 bonuses to new conductors hired at those same four terminals. From the akronrrblog
The story can be read at https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/as-stopgap-to-relieve-crew-shortages-csx-seeks-transfers-to-water-level-route-terminals/

$22K to go work for six months at some of the worst winter weather terminals they have. No thanks.

And there are NO repeat NO offers for Engineers....and yes I thought about the ten foot deep snow up there....if you didn't grow up there you'd be lost for sure. 

Oh the winters in Buffalo aren’t that bad…. In fact they are hyped up and way overblown just like the Buffalo chicken wing..

I will say in 2014 yes we experienced a lake effect storm in November that dumped 6-8 feet of snow in a short amount of time in “part of the area” that was very taxing but guess what? 3 days later after the railroad and city spent an enormous amount of money to clear the roads and such it warmed up to 70 degrees and it all melted rather quickly…. Other than that one storm it been not so bad.

Posted from iPhone

NY state income taxes could take a bite out of the bonus and pay.

Posted from Android

That would be $916 per week. Seems like a good pay raise and winters wont be 6 months long.
RB

Don't go. Don't enable your abusers. Don't whore yourself out.
Will they give you a pass for running through a switch or over
a derail during a snowstorm in some unfamiliar terminal?

Let Jamie and some of the know-it-all clowns from J'ville
put on the work boots and gloves.  They can come up and
show everybody how to run trains. 

I bet they were all ready to run your trains during the strike.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/22 05:20 by Englewood.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't go. Don't enable your abusers. Don't whore
> yourself out.
> Will they give you a pass for running through a
> switch or over
> a derail during a snowstorm in some unfamiliar
> terminal?
>
> Let Jamie and some of the know-it-all clowns from
> J'ville
> put on the work boots and gloves.  They can come
> up and
> show everybody how to run trains. 
>
> I bet they were all ready to run your trains
> during the strike.

You should do a little research before posting such garbage…. You get trained and qualified before being marked up..

Posted from iPhone

I bet there would be problems with trying to transfer back "home" after 6 months or however long they decide they need you up there.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

The temporary transfers were known as "the carpetbaggers" in my terminal during the CSX/CR integration.

JOHNY5ALIVE Wrote:
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>
> You should do a little research before posting
> such garbage…. You get trained and qualified
> before being marked up..
>
> Posted from iPhone

"Trained and Qualified"
So, how many qualification trips are you going to give them?
Will it be like Amtrak on the Washington cutoff?
A couple round trips, a profile map and a new hire "conductor" to keep
you out of trouble.

Seen it happen many times. 
"When we took the call I told them I had never been here before", says the crewmember.
"Nobody told me and I don't have anyone to help you" says the YM. 
"Do the best you can" says the TM (who is going out the door on the way home).
 

Reality where I've worked is that you get MAYBE a handful of trips on each subdivision. Hardly enough to remember everything, if anything for some guys. Then, you may more often than not go out with a relatively inexperienced hoghead. Throw in soon to come snow and bone numbing temperatures. What could possibly go wrong?

I'd be very concerned that you wouldn't be released back to your hone terminal until your "new" terminal is adequately staffed, or some other nonsense. So, if ten huys are hired, and all ten leave, you're gonna be there for a while.  They're not going to pay another bonus to somebody else to come and replace you.

Somebody thinks this works in the employees favor?

Out 

That’s a cheap borrow out. Don’t go for that.

Posted from iPhone

Drknow Wrote:
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> That’s a cheap borrow out. Don’t go for that.
>
> Posted from iPhone

I would have second (even third) thoughts as well.....

And there is something to be said for the folks in Jacksonville/Atlanta/Ft. Worth/Omaha to come out of their "Glass Palaces" and run their "choo choos"...??!!! I know, just another pipe dream......

Posted from Android

irhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Reality where I've worked is that you get MAYBE a
> handful of trips on each subdivision. Hardly
> enough to remember everything, if anything for
> some guys. Then, you may more often than not go
> out with a relatively inexperienced hoghead.

...and when you violate some rule or another, or come off the rialroad, or run into something, the management statement will be that you qualified on the territory. It's roughly the same effect as the BNSF Grand Pool scheme.

TAW

UP out of Bakersfield CA changes most of their trains in the wrong territory but hey
everyone's qualified.

Out 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> NY state income taxes could take a bite out of the
> bonus and pay.
>
> Posted from Android

Generally speaking, railroaders pay state income taxes for the state that they live in.

portlander Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > NY state income taxes could take a bite out of
> the
> > bonus and pay.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Generally speaking, railroaders pay state income
> taxes for the state that they live in.

If your W2 shows income earned in NY, then you're on the hook for NY state income tax. Non-Resident if you're there for <184 days, but you still have to pay. Depending on the state where you really live (your "domicile" in tax-speak) you may be able to claim a credit for the tax paid to another jurisdiction. So it all hinges on how the Company reports the income.