This may be an aside. In the early sixties, I knew an IC agent operator in South Mississippi who, after I moved to another place, was promoted to dispatcher, and had to move to Chicago. I do not know how long he lasted there, but he was not happy and, I believe, went back to being a dispatcher.
Johnny
BaltACDLikewise employers are not willing to hand out higher compensation levels for 'newbies' coming into a work classification than those already there - more likely the 'newbie' will be paid much less account the 'newbie' status without regard to age.
Balt, You earlier answered my question about the CSX's dispatcher relocation policies. Now my question is about where do RR's obtain dispatcher candiates. My recolection was that some came from the tower operators and some came from engineers or similar people who had some operating experience. Today when conductors are an almost entry level job, what are the "prerequisites" to become a disptcher?
The driver shortage is driving up the cost of motor freight. At what % difference in cost will shipping by rail become attractive for non ultra time sensitive freight?
Phoebe Vet There are thousands of people who are willing to work hard, but we keep rounding them up and throwing them out of OUR country. They are people who would be working and paying into Medicare and Social Security but for some reason we call them invaders.
There are thousands of people who are willing to work hard, but we keep rounding them up and throwing them out of OUR country. They are people who would be working and paying into Medicare and Social Security but for some reason we call them invaders.
I would opine that's because some of them are invaders, not hard workers here to earn an honest dollar.
The problem comes in separating the wheat from the chaff.
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...
Sure would be nice if we could accept our differences and focus on our similarities. We're all humans on this third rock from the sun, and the only way we will survive is by working together.
UlrichAnd the career change is almost always "lateral" or downward.. rarely upward unless you're in the management groove where advancement is required. Think about it a for a minute: when you're 40 or 50 and starting on a new career path you're competing with others your age who are vastly more experienced. Let's say I hired out as a novice conductor today.. lots of people my age would have 20 or 30 years on the job while I'm just learning the ropes. I don't know how much difference that would make on the railroad, but I'm guessing it matters.. And likewise with many careers.. not that hard to switch horses midrace.. but.. you'll likely be swapping your stalion for a mule. Rarely happens the other way 'round..
Likewise employers are not willing to hand out higher compensation levels for 'newbies' coming into a work classification than those already there - more likely the 'newbie' will be paid much less account the 'newbie' status without regard to age.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
jeffhergert charlie hebdo Ulrich charlie hebdo Ulrich About liking/loving one's work.. its a matter of personal choice: it ain't about the work itself.. it's all about one's attitude towards it..i.e. if you're a professor or a locomotive engineer or whatever, you have the power within you to decide to love it or not.. it's all about your approach to it. Oh yeah, try telling that gem to almost anyone under 30 or folks in many jobs with horrible conditions. You'll get a mixture of derisive laughs and boos. Better act fast then, after 30 you pretty much have what you have careerwise..so you may as well learn to like it. You're going to be doing this or something very much like it for another 35 years. Maybe in Canada. Career change after 30 started becoming quite common 20 or more years ago. And much of the career change in the early years, and even today, was/is forced on people. Now the mantra is that a person will change jobs and/or career paths multiple times over their working lifetime. Condition people to accept being a disposable asset. It's great for employers, but maybe not so great for those who are employees. Jeff
charlie hebdo Ulrich charlie hebdo Ulrich About liking/loving one's work.. its a matter of personal choice: it ain't about the work itself.. it's all about one's attitude towards it..i.e. if you're a professor or a locomotive engineer or whatever, you have the power within you to decide to love it or not.. it's all about your approach to it. Oh yeah, try telling that gem to almost anyone under 30 or folks in many jobs with horrible conditions. You'll get a mixture of derisive laughs and boos. Better act fast then, after 30 you pretty much have what you have careerwise..so you may as well learn to like it. You're going to be doing this or something very much like it for another 35 years. Maybe in Canada. Career change after 30 started becoming quite common 20 or more years ago.
Ulrich charlie hebdo Ulrich About liking/loving one's work.. its a matter of personal choice: it ain't about the work itself.. it's all about one's attitude towards it..i.e. if you're a professor or a locomotive engineer or whatever, you have the power within you to decide to love it or not.. it's all about your approach to it. Oh yeah, try telling that gem to almost anyone under 30 or folks in many jobs with horrible conditions. You'll get a mixture of derisive laughs and boos. Better act fast then, after 30 you pretty much have what you have careerwise..so you may as well learn to like it. You're going to be doing this or something very much like it for another 35 years.
charlie hebdo Ulrich About liking/loving one's work.. its a matter of personal choice: it ain't about the work itself.. it's all about one's attitude towards it..i.e. if you're a professor or a locomotive engineer or whatever, you have the power within you to decide to love it or not.. it's all about your approach to it. Oh yeah, try telling that gem to almost anyone under 30 or folks in many jobs with horrible conditions. You'll get a mixture of derisive laughs and boos.
Ulrich About liking/loving one's work.. its a matter of personal choice: it ain't about the work itself.. it's all about one's attitude towards it..i.e. if you're a professor or a locomotive engineer or whatever, you have the power within you to decide to love it or not.. it's all about your approach to it.
Oh yeah, try telling that gem to almost anyone under 30 or folks in many jobs with horrible conditions. You'll get a mixture of derisive laughs and boos.
Better act fast then, after 30 you pretty much have what you have careerwise..so you may as well learn to like it. You're going to be doing this or something very much like it for another 35 years.
Maybe in Canada. Career change after 30 started becoming quite common 20 or more years ago.
And much of the career change in the early years, and even today, was/is forced on people. Now the mantra is that a person will change jobs and/or career paths multiple times over their working lifetime. Condition people to accept being a disposable asset. It's great for employers, but maybe not so great for those who are employees.
Jeff
And the career change is almost always "lateral" or downward.. rarely upward unless you're in the management groove where advancement is required. Think about it a for a minute: when you're 40 or 50 and starting on a new career path you're competing with others your age who are vastly more experienced. Let's say I hired out as a novice conductor today.. lots of people my age would have 20 or 30 years on the job while I'm just learning the ropes. I don't know how much difference that would make on the railroad, but I'm guessing it matters.. And likewise with many careers.. not that hard to switch horses midrace.. but.. you'll likely be swapping your stalion for a mule. Rarely happens the other way 'round..
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
jeffhergert Apart from all the other minuses, there is the lifestyle requirements. You will be expected to work on-call, working variable start times, every day of the week including weekends with no set days off for most assignments. You will be drug and alcohol free when reporting for work and subject to random testing. Jeff
Apart from all the other minuses, there is the lifestyle requirements. You will be expected to work on-call, working variable start times, every day of the week including weekends with no set days off for most assignments. You will be drug and alcohol free when reporting for work and subject to random testing.
Our culture seems to value work, especially work where you might get your hands dirty and break a sweat, less than in generations past. In this day and age it's a wonder they get anyone at all.
BackshopYou're missing the meaning of the saying. What it means is that you set yourself up for a career and work hard so that one day, you can retire. I know plenty of people who seem proud of saying "I'm going to work until the day I die". They will, too, because they never made plans for retirement. It's always about today for them.
And once again, a lot of people pass away before they can retire (when they aren't even 60 years old yet). Never know when your number is up - so find a happy medium.
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
jeffhergertMost current employees won't recommend working for the railroad. I will with the proviso that you should have a skill where you can pick something up while furloughed. Such as truck driving.
They pay you enough so you won't quit - but not enough so that you're happy.
Is what it is.
Ulrich jeffhergert e 6 or 7 grand to the UP? Most current employees won't recommend working for the railroad. I will with the proviso that you should have a skill where you can pick something up while furloughed. Such as truck driving. It's hard for a company to get people to work for them when people know how the company is. And from what I've heard from others, it's not much better on the other class ones, either. Jeff Most current employees won't recommend any employer.. they're all bad (at least in their estimation). From class 1 railroads to village libraries.. many employees are unhappy with their chosen lot..
jeffhergert e 6 or 7 grand to the UP? Most current employees won't recommend working for the railroad. I will with the proviso that you should have a skill where you can pick something up while furloughed. Such as truck driving. It's hard for a company to get people to work for them when people know how the company is. And from what I've heard from others, it's not much better on the other class ones, either. Jeff
Most current employees won't recommend working for the railroad. I will with the proviso that you should have a skill where you can pick something up while furloughed. Such as truck driving.
It's hard for a company to get people to work for them when people know how the company is. And from what I've heard from others, it's not much better on the other class ones, either.
Most current employees won't recommend any employer.. they're all bad (at least in their estimation). From class 1 railroads to village libraries.. many employees are unhappy with their chosen lot..
Everyone likes to complain. But the Class I railroads ARE a cut above when it comes to employee harassment and treating people as though they are disposable.
The word gets around, and it is tough to keep stuff under wraps in our modern age.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
zugmann BaltACD Mostly because their ideal job has them doing nothing and getting paid hansomely to do it. I'd be perfectly happy with that.
BaltACD Mostly because their ideal job has them doing nothing and getting paid hansomely to do it.
I'd be perfectly happy with that.
Most of my job is sitting around doing nothing. Wait for the taxi, wait for paperwork, wait for the Dispatcher to answer, wait for the signal...
And every so often I get to drive a train! Life could be worse.
And it doesn't get any better after 30...
greyhounds Well, there's this from the Chicago Tribune. It's all about railroads. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-union-pacific-railroad-jobs-hiring-incentives-xxxx-20180619-story.html
Well, there's this from the Chicago Tribune. It's all about railroads.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-union-pacific-railroad-jobs-hiring-incentives-xxxx-20180619-story.html
The ones that have been hired and are training now were told in their classroom portion that they would be furloughed by the third quarter. The bonus is paid in three increments. The last being so many job starts after being set up. To me, it's almost more of an incentive to come back after being furloghed. If they don't fulfill the entire requirements, they have to pay back what they have been paid up to that point. So after being cut-off for a year or more and the railroad recalls you (probably for a few weeks, just about the time you finish the refresher class) what do you do? Do you leave the decent, stable job you found? Or do you say no to the recall and now owe 6 or 7 grand to the UP?
We won't even go into management/employee relations at the field level. Which, because you know what rolls down hill, is a reflection of their supervisor's attitude. Many of those at both levels came out of the ranks.
Firelock76 zugmann: BaltACD "...Some say never turn your passion into a career..." "...I think true happiness lies somewhere in between..." Firelock76 piosted: Winston Churchill said it best. The advice he gave his kids on career choices went as follows... "Do what you like, but LIKE what you do!" And all this talk about "young people nowadays..." reminds me of an article I read in a trade magazine not long ago. The writer was a business owner who said something very interesting. He said the young people he hires want to work, but they don't know how to work, so he has to train them in the "basics" before he can even start training them for the job. Isn't that interesting? Seems like someone's asleep at the switch out there.
zugmann:
BaltACD "...Some say never turn your passion into a career..." "...I think true happiness lies somewhere in between..." Firelock76 piosted: Winston Churchill said it best. The advice he gave his kids on career choices went as follows...
BaltACD
"...Some say never turn your passion into a career..."
"...I think true happiness lies somewhere in between..."
Firelock76 piosted: Winston Churchill said it best. The advice he gave his kids on career choices went as follows...
"Do what you like, but LIKE what you do!"
And all this talk about "young people nowadays..." reminds me of an article I read in a trade magazine not long ago. The writer was a business owner who said something very interesting. He said the young people he hires want to work, but they don't know how to work, so he has to train them in the "basics" before he can even start training them for the job. Isn't that interesting?
Seems like someone's asleep at the switch out there.
Backshop zugmann Backshop They don't understand the old saying "you can either work hard when you're young or work hard when you're old". Yeah, but we've all seen the guys that work hard their whole lives and drop over dead before retirement. You're missing the meaning of the saying. What it means is that you set yourself up for a career and work hard so that one day, you can retire. I know plenty of people who seem proud of saying "I'm going to work until the day I die". They will, too, because they never made plans for retirement. It's always about today for them.
zugmann Backshop They don't understand the old saying "you can either work hard when you're young or work hard when you're old". Yeah, but we've all seen the guys that work hard their whole lives and drop over dead before retirement.
Backshop They don't understand the old saying "you can either work hard when you're young or work hard when you're old".
Yeah, but we've all seen the guys that work hard their whole lives and drop over dead before retirement.
You're missing the meaning of the saying. What it means is that you set yourself up for a career and work hard so that one day, you can retire. I know plenty of people who seem proud of saying "I'm going to work until the day I die". They will, too, because they never made plans for retirement. It's always about today for them.
I think you missed Zugmann's point.
BaltACD zugmann BaltACD The under 30 crowd believe they deserve the top floor corner office with a view without ever having done anything to earn it. I got one of those right away. Now there's a control stand in the middle of it, but it is close to the bathroom! But it is LOUD and sometimes you have to stick your head out the window.
zugmann BaltACD The under 30 crowd believe they deserve the top floor corner office with a view without ever having done anything to earn it. I got one of those right away. Now there's a control stand in the middle of it, but it is close to the bathroom!
BaltACD The under 30 crowd believe they deserve the top floor corner office with a view without ever having done anything to earn it.
I got one of those right away. Now there's a control stand in the middle of it, but it is close to the bathroom!
But it is LOUD and sometimes you have to stick your head out the window.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
BaltACDThe under 30 crowd believe they deserve the top floor corner office with a view without ever having done anything to earn it.
BaltACDMostly because their ideal job has them doing nothing and getting paid hansomely to do it. Personally I can't see assembly line type jobs offering much if an personal job satisfiction - for some they may, for me no way. The under 30 crowd believe they deserve the top floor corner office with a view without ever having done anything to earn it.
BaltACDMostly because their ideal job has them doing nothing and getting paid hansomely to do it.
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