JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are discussing shifting to an hourly-rate agreement. CSX notified the union on July 19 that it would like to replace the mileage-based pay system ...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/07/31-csx-hourly-work-rules
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
It's a trap!
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
The Devil is always in the details.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
traisessive1 It's a trap!
What he said. EHH tried this at both CN and CP in Canada, that's what the strikes at CN in 2007 and CP in 2012 were about (among other things). He didn't get the hourly rate up here.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
SD70M-2Dude traisessive1 It's a trap! What he said. EHH tried this at both CN and CP in Canada, that's what the strikes at CN in 2007 and CP in 2012 were about (among other things). He didn't get the hourly rate up here.
Why was that? Was/is it a stealth pay cut?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Why wouldn't the workers/union accept hourly pay? In the trucking industry its the workers who are preferring hourly pay while companies would prefer to pay based on incentive...i.e. mileage.
Ulrich Why wouldn't the workers/union accept hourly pay? In the trucking industry its the workers who are preferring hourly pay while companies would prefer to pay based on incentive...i.e. mileage.
I'm half guessing here, but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that back in the day, it took a day to cover 100 or so miles, and today that may well still be reflected in some contracts.
In other words, you take your train 100 miles, and you'll get paid for a full day's work.
Who'd want to give that up?
On the flip side are workers who are paid hourly. They don't care if it takes them 8 hours to do a four hour job - they're still getting paid. Ever get stuck behind a state DOT truck?
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Thanks Larry, that makes sense.
BaltACDThe Devil is always in the details.
That has always been the case for any trade after a strike. A lot of the benefit calculations don't show up one way or the other until you have to live with a contract month-in, year-in.
In our family's case, it worked out good for us and bad for the company, after a strike by the then BRAC in 1969. Even then, I realized our standard of living increased percipitously, even though it seemed like a small increase at the time. The small print gave to us, management has grown smarter/more ruthless since.
They will tell you one thing at the negotiating table, but you see something else on the paycheque later. I'm hoping some of the current employees can give us some examples of current benefits that will change if they accept the new pay system, without compomising themselves.
One thing I found interesting in the comments section of the original Newswire story was someone saying that under the new system, if the company can schedule two road jobs correctly, they can abolish one yard job. That is the kind of thing you have to watch out for. The company will make sure that sort of thing never comes to the attention of the negotiators.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
schlimm SD70M-2Dude traisessive1 It's a trap! What he said. EHH tried this at both CN and CP in Canada, that's what the strikes at CN in 2007 and CP in 2012 were about (among other things). He didn't get the hourly rate up here. Why was that? Was/is it a stealth pay cut?
Yes, among other things.
I can't speak for what is going on at CSX right now, but at IC, CN and CP the company's proposal always involves elimination of a host of other work and rest rules.
For example on CN employees working in unassigned service (on call, no regular schedule) can take up to 24 hours after every trip upon returning to their home terminal and going off duty. And if we do not book rest at the away-from-home terminal we can only be held there for 14 or 18 hours, depending on the subdivison.
EHH's hourly rate proposal would have done away with those provisions, leaving only the federal hours of service regulations in their place, thereby making it a lot harder for on-call employees to have decent time at home with their families. On American railroads that have similar agreements (not just CN's U.S. lines) many employees actually live at their AFHT, as they wind up spending more time there than at their "home" terminal.
The hourly rate usually has overtime after 10 hours. Most work rules are relaxed or given up entirely. The road/yard division is gone or greatly reduced. You pull into a terminal at the end of the run on a road train. Have time left on HOS? Start switching or maybe do air tests on trains already made up. If some other train is in danger of running out of time, go dogcatching. (They can make you do all of those things now if they wanted. The difference is they would have to pay extra for that.)
The rate is usually high enough so many, especially younger (seniority wise) may not lose money. However, you may work longer for it. That's if you can hold on because with the relaxed work rules they may need less people.
Jeff
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