Passenger Trains > Amtrak Layoff procedures

The discussion about the layoffs of the Vermonter crews is interesting, as is the quote from Cecelia Cummings of Amtrak "IF the service is restored..." not "WHEN."

When crews bid for a job, how long does the bid hold? A month, Six months, a year? If you bid for a job, and the job is abolished a month later, do you go on layoff until a new bid window opens, and you can bump somebody else? I would expect having a 20 year man sitting on the bench while a 10 year man is working isn't a long term good idea...

My guess is that the layoff constitutes the opportunity for bumping.

All of those "displaced" when their jobs are abolished can bump onto other jobs as their seniority permits. So yes, those people with the lowest seniority will be "cut off"(laid off).

Lackawanna484 wrote:

> When crews bid for a job, how long does the bid hold? A month,
> Six months, a year?

Job assignments will generally last about 6 months, then optional displacements occur where every job is put up for bid and folks are given the option to bid on other jobs which their senority will hold.

> If you bid for a job, and the job is abolished a month later, do you > go on layoff until a new bid window opens, and you can bump somebody > else?

If a job gets abolished for whatever reason, you then gain a bump, this is for a 48hr period to decide where you want to go in your crew base. It's an extra unpaid two days off to some, others make their move right away as they can't afford loosing the pay.

> I would expect having a 20 year man sitting on the bench while a 10 > year man is working isn't a long term good idea...

It won't last long because the man with 20yrs will make his move and squeeze out the young guys off regular jobs, the young guy will go to the extra board if there is no where else to go.

My comments are in regards to how the bids, bumps and abolishments are for trainmen, I don't know how the engineers bids work.