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Here's the rest of the union story. Union opposes Subway food service on trains (The following article by eric Anderson was posted on the Albany Times Union website on November 30.) RENSSELAER, N.Y. -- A leafleting campaign by unionized Amtrak workers apparently brought a quick end to an effort by Subway to offer onboard food service. Subway stopped providing food on trains running exclusively between Rensselaer and New York City last week, six days into a four-month pilot project. On Tuesday, one of the Subway franchisees providing the service, Bob Hurley, said he'd like to resume food service on the trains. But a union official, Gary Maslanka, said his members remain opposed to the project. Amtrak ended its own food service on trains originating or terminating in Rensselaer last July. An Amtrak spokesman at the time said the move would save $1 million a year. Sixteen unionized members were affected, but most were offered other positions within Amtrak. Union officials argued their members had qualifications -- training in safety and security issues -- that went beyond food service, and they were there to help out in an emergency. "There is no comparison between well-paid, well-trained" Amtrak employees and the Subway workers who replaced them, said Maslanka, chairman of the Amtrak Service Workers Council and director of the railroad division for the Transport Workers Union. "We are definitely opposed to Subway workers providing service that our members have provided for years. "It's a step in the wrong direction," he added. Amtrak announced the pilot program earlier this month as a way to restore some food service while at the same time not incurring additional losses for the railroad. Subway's Hurley declined to talk about the specific reasons his franchise ended its service on the trains. He said, however, that he was happy with the reception received from passengers. "We're just trying to work through things," he said. "We went in hoping this would be a long-term commitment." Under the Amtrak deal, Subway paid the passenger railroad a portion of its proceeds. Subway used Amtrak's cafe cars, and a worker went through the coaches delivering food to travelers. One Los Angeles resident, who e-mailed the Times Union saying he was aboard a northbound train last week when the leafleting took place, said he was charged $2 for a bottle of water, even though he was in business class, where beverages previously had been free. He also said passengers received two leaflets, one that said the Subway service was taking away union jobs, and the other saying the service was creating a safety issue for passengers. From BLET Site
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