jeffhergertA week or so ago, the CEO was in Des Moines. Part of his visit included a town hall meeting with the locals. I've heard from a couple of different people that the expectation is that all the new hires will be furloughed by the third quarter. I don't know if it's just for our area or system wide. Jeff
Jeff
A real hiring incentive! [/sarcasm]
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
A week or so ago, the CEO was in Des Moines. Part of his visit included a town hall meeting with the locals. I've heard from a couple of different people that the expectation is that all the new hires will be furloughed by the third quarter. I don't know if it's just for our area or system wide.
CandOforprogress2https://www.cbsnews.com/news/railroads-offer-up-to-25000-for-new-hires/ Just love that CBS news used a photo of a railroad nowhere in the USA...so where is it?
Just love that CBS news used a photo of a railroad nowhere in the USA...so where is it?
Probably Russian.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/railroads-offer-up-to-25000-for-new-hires/
Balt makes a valid point. As recently as the mid-1970's, a DUI violation would be good for a steep fine and a license suspension (assuming that you got pulled over) but society tended to look at it as a dumb mistake rather than a serious error in judgment.
BaltACDIn the 'Boomer Days' it took three things to keep a railroad running - nicotene, cafeene and alcahol - generally in mass quantities. There wasn't any 'drug testing' and there were a lot of 'accidents' where alcahol were involved. The Boomer Days' are gone! Today you get to add recreational pharacuticals to the mix and random drug testing is a fact of continuing employment.
My late father in law (who worked for CN for the last half of his career) used to tell the story of the engineer of his train being 'poured off' the locomotive in Jasper, Alta. Booze was definitely a part of the culture.
Charlie
coborn35 BaltACD zugmann From what I hear about our hiring sessions, after they announce the mandatory random drug tests - 90% of the room walks out. Then the criminal background checks get the other 10%. Total indictment of the the current new hire generation. But then I am a dinosauer - nicotene and alcahol were the only drugs I used - too much nicotene and only occasional alcahol. For 18 years in Jax - never drug tested. In 8 years in Baltimore peed into the bottle 3 times. Right the railroads never had a problem with drinking or drugs before this generation... give me a break.
BaltACD zugmann From what I hear about our hiring sessions, after they announce the mandatory random drug tests - 90% of the room walks out. Then the criminal background checks get the other 10%. Total indictment of the the current new hire generation. But then I am a dinosauer - nicotene and alcahol were the only drugs I used - too much nicotene and only occasional alcahol. For 18 years in Jax - never drug tested. In 8 years in Baltimore peed into the bottle 3 times.
zugmann From what I hear about our hiring sessions, after they announce the mandatory random drug tests - 90% of the room walks out. Then the criminal background checks get the other 10%.
Then the criminal background checks get the other 10%.
Total indictment of the the current new hire generation.
But then I am a dinosauer - nicotene and alcahol were the only drugs I used - too much nicotene and only occasional alcahol. For 18 years in Jax - never drug tested. In 8 years in Baltimore peed into the bottle 3 times.
Right the railroads never had a problem with drinking or drugs before this generation... give me a break.
In the 'Boomer Days' it took three things to keep a railroad running - nicotene, cafeene and alcahol - generally in mass quantities. There wasn't any 'drug testing' and there were a lot of 'accidents' where alcahol were involved.
The 'Boomer Days' are gone! Today you get to add recreational pharacuticals to the mix and random drug testing is a fact of continuing employment.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
I heard yesterday that out of the original 35 in our first new-hire class, 3 are left. (I've heard similar numbers from adjacent divisions with new-hires.) I don't know if it's true, or if it is, if they left on their own or were dismissed.
I did here that some place, maybe my home terminal, a manager wanted to fire most of a class, still as a group, their first day out in the yard. They violated a rule involving crossing or walking near tracks. So instead of using it as a learning opprotunity for people who haven't worked in the railroad environment before and are having a whole bunch of rules thrown at them and are learning how to apply them in the field, someone wants to fire them.
And they wonder why no one wants to work for them. Well, besides the "normal" work schedule (hint-there isn't one) for most railroaders, throw in that the word's gotten around that they will probably be furloughed after a couple months. Spend who knows how long cut-off. Be recalled, leave a decent job to come back, work a few weeks and then be cut-off again.
Being a conductor or a locomotive engineer is a great job, except for the fact that one rarely knows when they will be called to go to work, how long they will be away from home, or when they will return. It is very difficult to get weekends and holidays off, particularly if the railroad has not properly staffed their train operations. They could fix most of the problems by assigning train crews to fixed work shift schedules and putting them on a salary plus bonus schedule with a minimum weekly and monthly work hours requirement and bonus pay for time given in excess of the minimum hourly work requirement.
zugmann jeffhergert No retention bonus for the veteran employees. We don't even get safety awards anymore. Jeff They own our souls. They aren't giving us anything.
jeffhergert No retention bonus for the veteran employees. We don't even get safety awards anymore. Jeff
They own our souls. They aren't giving us anything.
Johnny
jeffhergertNo retention bonus for the veteran employees. We don't even get safety awards anymore. Jeff
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
PJS1 jeffhergert The amount of bonus depends on where you are. Some places don't have a bonus, some have $10K, some $20K for train crew jobs. The mechanical department has $15K and $25K sign-on bonuses at some locations. Jeff What has been the reaction of the folks who have worked for the railroad for many years? Are they being given any retention bonuses?
jeffhergert The amount of bonus depends on where you are. Some places don't have a bonus, some have $10K, some $20K for train crew jobs. The mechanical department has $15K and $25K sign-on bonuses at some locations. Jeff
What has been the reaction of the folks who have worked for the railroad for many years? Are they being given any retention bonuses?
I've read some comments on another forum from railroaders in other areas that are a little miffed over it. I haven't heard any negative comments from my coworkers. One looked at it (the bonus) as kind of compensation for starting out at 75% pay and progressing to full pay.
I guess most don't have an opinion because (1) it still doesn't bring many applicants and (2) most expect that the new-hires won't last and really won't see the money.
No retention bonus for the veteran employees. We don't even get safety awards anymore.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
jeffhergert As for the rest of us. I received a quarterly newsletter from the company I have my job insurance with. It said claims were up 39% in 2017 because "several railroad employers hammered their employees with rule violations and incident reports."
As for the rest of us. I received a quarterly newsletter from the company I have my job insurance with. It said claims were up 39% in 2017 because "several railroad employers hammered their employees with rule violations and incident reports."
Yep, that BRCF coverage can be a real lifesaver.
I always read the newsletter when it comes, and am usually left scratching my head at how much worse the American railroads are than CN.
"Nazi Southern" indeed (does that belong in the other thread?).
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
zardoz jeffhergert The bonus doesn't come all at once, but in increments, 3 is what I heard. My understanding was for TE&Y, you have to work 12 continuous months after each payment or pay it back. So don't spend it all at once. Sounds like the railroad variation of the old "bait & switch" scam.
jeffhergert The bonus doesn't come all at once, but in increments, 3 is what I heard. My understanding was for TE&Y, you have to work 12 continuous months after each payment or pay it back. So don't spend it all at once.
Sounds like the railroad variation of the old "bait & switch" scam.
Have to agree! Stay a year - pay the full amount and you have a legit offer.
jeffhergertThe bonus doesn't come all at once, but in increments, 3 is what I heard. My understanding was for TE&Y, you have to work 12 continuous months after each payment or pay it back. So don't spend it all at once.
SFbrkmn Remember that the rr will hire you, spnd thousands of dollars over the next 90 days to train you on job skills and then after you take the condr test and mark up, the employer will be out to fire you.
Remember that the rr will hire you, spnd thousands of dollars over the next 90 days to train you on job skills and then after you take the condr test and mark up, the employer will be out to fire you.
There's been a few instances where they didn't even get finished training.
How the world has changed! There used to be only two rules concerning use of certain things: Rule G which forbade being under the influence of alcohol, and Rule H which forbade the use of tobacco (I have the impression that this applied particularly to chewing tobacco and snuff) when serving passengers.
I do not recall seeing a ticket agent, conductor, or flagman smoking while on duty, but I did see a paaenger conductor on a train chewing tobacco and spitting into a can.
zugmannFrom what I hear about our hiring sessions, after they announce the mandatory random drug tests - 90% of the room walks out. Then the criminal background checks get the other 10%.
zugmann From what I hear about our hiring sessions, after they announce the mandatory random drug tests - 90% of the room walks out.
From what I hear about our hiring sessions, after they announce the mandatory random drug tests - 90% of the room walks out.
I got to witness that once.
CN and CP are both offering hiring bonuses right now too, but I believe they may only be if you have previous railway experience. Seems to me like they are trying to poach employees from each other.
jeffhergertThat is if they don't fire you or cut you off first.
OK well, I am happy where I am at. Besides, I don't think the railroad bridges could handle my upwardly revised speed limits. The bridge isn't really doing it's job unless it is swaying and popping rivets. :)
If that happens do the new employees have to pay back the boni too??
I think than they would be worthless.Regards, Volker
CMStPnP https://www.cbsnews.com/news/railroads-offer-up-to-25000-for-new-hires/
https://up.jobs/search-jobs.html
The amount of bonus depends on where you are. Some places don't have a bonus, some have $10K, some $20K for train crew jobs. The mechanical department has $15K and $25K sign-on bonuses at some locations.
The bonus doesn't come all at once, but in increments, 3 is what I heard. My understanding was for TE&Y, you have to work 12 continuous months after each payment or pay it back. So don't spend it all at once.
Boone, Des Moines and Clinton are $10K and on the same seniority district. The same goes with some of the other train crew locations, they are locations within a single seniority district. You may hire out at a specific location, but are subject to work anywhere on the district.
That is if they don't fire you or cut you off first.
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