Some short line companies have tried setting themselves up in a way as to not have to belong to railroad retirement.
Jeff
Semper VaporoIf the person that owns the engine...
Short lines also offer the opportunity to railroad on a fairly regular schedule and gain RR retirement, without many of the inconveniences of Class 1 railroading.
And many are operating on tracks the Class 1's have cast off in the first place...
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...
If the person that owns the engine (maybe in conjunction with a bank or other lending institution) and the track (also in conjunction with a bank or other lending institution) is also 1/4 of the labor force as the Engineer of the line as well as the CEO, his Wife being the CFO/treasurer/receptionist/janitorial service, and his brother being the conductor/switchman/wheel knocker, and his son as the general laborer because "he knows a lot about Diesel motors" and once took a course in Highschool on " 'lectrical trades ", then I don't see the labor force as being "scabs" if they don't form a Union against themselves.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
BaltACD JPS1 To what extent are short line railroads unionized? The formation of Short Lines is a 'Union Busting' exercise. It is taking a property that was covered by a Class 1's existing union agreements and 'selling' it to new owners that have no incentive or intent to take on the provisions of those agreements or the employees covered by them. The new 'short line' goes about hiring their new workforce with the work rules and pay rates that the short line wants to pay. The pay rates are invariably less than the Class 1 pay rate and the work rules will be entirely different than they were on the Class 1. The only thing that will remain the same for people working job functions that are covered by the Federal Hours of Service regulations will sill be covered by those regulations.
JPS1 To what extent are short line railroads unionized?
The formation of Short Lines is a 'Union Busting' exercise. It is taking a property that was covered by a Class 1's existing union agreements and 'selling' it to new owners that have no incentive or intent to take on the provisions of those agreements or the employees covered by them.
The new 'short line' goes about hiring their new workforce with the work rules and pay rates that the short line wants to pay. The pay rates are invariably less than the Class 1 pay rate and the work rules will be entirely different than they were on the Class 1. The only thing that will remain the same for people working job functions that are covered by the Federal Hours of Service regulations will sill be covered by those regulations.
Legalizing what amounts to a scab labor force.
Some of the larger and/or more prosperous short lines have union contracts. For train and engine crews, usually it's held by one union that represents both crafts. As opposed to class one carriers that have separate unions for both crafts. (It's the same for the regionals, both have one union representing both.)
Those short lines owned by one of the holding companies are on an individual basis. One property might be represented, another without. Just as some of those sister companies differ in how profitable they are.
I would opine that most short line operations are essentially "seat of the pants" financially. For many of the smallest operations, the job of CEO also includes an engineer's card.
A good many shortlines have many miles of track to "nowhere." This track is the source of substantial income when private car owners are looking to store their cars for a while. A thousand cars stored at $1 or $2 per car per day will likely pay the payroll, and then some.
JPS1To what extent are short line railroads unionized?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
To what extent are short line railroads unionized?
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