Rail workers warn of exodus after Congress forces through deal

[mystery-ak]

 Rail workers warn of exodus after Congress forces through deal
by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 12/06/22 6:00 AM ET

Railroad workers could leave the industry after Congress forced through a contract that does not provide them any paid sick days, an exodus that would ripple through an economy reliant on freight railroads to transport goods.

The exit of thousands of train conductors and engineers would be felt by major corporations and U.S. consumers alike. It could slow the delivery of food, fuel and online orders while strangling already-shaky supply chains.

The economy was almost upended by a nationwide strike before lawmakers intervened last week to enforce a deal many workers found lacking.

Those who were holding out hope for a strong contract might look for a new job after the deal failed to provide paid sick leave or put an end to strict attendance policies and strenuous schedules that require workers to be on call constantly, rail workers say. 

“I don’t think you’ll just see half of the workforce disappear, but you’ll see a good percentage, and we can’t afford for anybody to leave because we’re so undermanned as it is,” said Hugh Sawyer, an Atlanta-based engineer at Norfolk Southern.

Any exodus of workers would only exacerbate staffing shortages brought on by railroads laying off around 30 percent of their workforce over the past six years. That, in turn, has led to exhausted workers and persistent delays and cancellations when demand for shipped products spiked. 

Business groups have warned that the disruptions, which are driven by staffing shortfalls, helped fuel inflation.

more
https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-lobbying/3762605-no-paid-sick-leave-could-spur-rail-worker-exodus-that-ripples-across-economy/

[catfish1957]

Rail workers warn of exodus after Congress forces through deal
by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 12/06/22 6:00 AM ET

Found that the union pay scale at Union Pacific is $63,494 to $132,433.

My message to those turds....   Let me know if you can find that kind of pay elsewhere.

[libertybele]

Found that the union pay scale at Union Pacific is $63,494 to $132,433.

My message to those turds....   Let me know if you can find that kind of pay elsewhere.

[Fishrrman]

catfish wrote:
"Found that the union pay scale at Union Pacific is $63,494 to $132,433.
My message to those turds....   Let me know if you can find that kind of pay elsewhere"

Simply stated, you know little about how these guys work to actually obtain those earnings. And I'm speaking directly at you, Catfish, and the other members of the forum.

How many hours are in a week?
24x7=168.
I'll bet some of the over-the-road train and engine guys are lucky to get 25-30 hours "home" each week. Perhaps three 10-hour "rest periods", and the remainder of the week on an engine, or at the other end of the line waiting for their return trip. But NOT "at home".

When I was a young fireman, someone told me about when HE was just starting out. An old-timer said to him, to wit: "kid, you're gonna make more money here than you ever seen, but it's gonna come out of your back".

And that's the way it could be.

Those guys making "the big bucks" are the ones putting in 80-100 hours a week (or more) away from home, out on the job.

The media (and perhaps the rail unions, the bosses) have misrepresented what this labor-management struggle was about from the get go.

It wasn't that much about "paid time off" (as in, paid "sick days").
That's pretty much B.S.

Rather, it was about UNPAID time off -- which most guys on the big railroads can't get. Or not enough.

I never made money like the guys do now. Nowhere close.
But of course, I didn't have to work like they did (for much of my career).
On the contrary, I reckon that I (personally) held one of the best engineer jobs in the country (in either freight or passenger). But I got lucky in that regard.

Still, I remember the days back in freight, and what they could be like.
You EARNED the money, and in many cases it DID "come out of your back".

The source article is from "The Hill", so of course, take it with a grain of salt.
But the railroads don't have "the retention rate" these days that they once did, because of the working conditions and abuse of the rank-and-file workers.

This is going to come back to bite them later on.
But "the carriers" never learn the easy way.
That's part of "the railroad life"...

[Idiot]

catfish wrote:
"Found that the union pay scale at Union Pacific is $63,494 to $132,433.
My message to those turds....   Let me know if you can find that kind of pay elsewhere"

Simply stated, you know little about how these guys work to actually obtain those earnings. And I'm speaking directly at you, Catfish, and the other members of the forum.

How many hours are in a week?
24x7=168.
I'll bet some of the over-the-road train and engine guys are lucky to get 25-30 hours "home" each week. Perhaps three 10-hour "rest periods", and the remainder of the week on an engine, or at the other end of the line waiting for their return trip. But NOT "at home".

When I was a young fireman, someone told me about when HE was just starting out. An old-timer said to him, to wit: "kid, you're gonna make more money here than you ever seen, but it's gonna come out of your back".

And that's the way it could be.

Those guys making "the big bucks" are the ones putting in 80-100 hours a week (or more) away from home, out on the job.

The media (and perhaps the rail unions, the bosses) have misrepresented what this labor-management struggle was about from the get go.

It wasn't that much about "paid time off" (as in, paid "sick days").
That's pretty much B.S.

Rather, it was about UNPAID time off -- which most guys on the big railroads can't get. Or not enough.

I never made money like the guys do now. Nowhere close.
But of course, I didn't have to work like they did (for much of my career).
On the contrary, I reckon that I (personally) held one of the best engineer jobs in the country (in either freight or passenger). But I got lucky in that regard.

Still, I remember the days back in freight, and what they could be like.
You EARNED the money, and in many cases it DID "come out of your back".

The source article is from "The Hill", so of course, take it with a grain of salt.
But the railroads don't have "the retention rate" these days that they once did, because of the working conditions and abuse of the rank-and-file workers.

This is going to come back to bite them later on.
But "the carriers" never learn the easy way.
That's part of "the railroad life"...

My cousin in an engineer in northwest Texas....his hours are horrible and he's never home.  I don't think he gets paid that well...

[catfish1957]

My cousin in an engineer in northwest Texas....his hours are horrible and he's never home.  I don't think he gets paid that well...

As an Safety and Enviro mgr.at a plant, I was rightfully told I had one of the most stressful jobs on earth.  In my career, 4 people who had my positon in the company had nervous breakdowns.  No one including @Fishrrman has the right to lecture me on working conditons.

I'll leave it at that, and stand by my earlier position toward Union Rai Workers.

[Fishrrman]

Catfish:
"I'll leave it at that, and stand by my earlier position toward Union Rai Workers"

Of course.
Stands to reason.
You're "a manager".
And that's that.

(same attitude as to be expected from the managing class on the railroads)