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Name: RRJ
E-mail:
Employed as: Locomotive Engineer, for 30+ years
Posted: 31 August 2010
Retraction: The "99ers" collected unemployment for 99 weeks not
months. Big difference.
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Name: RRJ
E-mail:
Employed as: Locomotive Engineer, for 30+ years
Posted: 30 August 2010
Dave
You had me up in till the mention of blaming drivers for crossing
accidents. Unlike you I witnessed driver carelessness every trip. I'll
agree there is a minuit percentage of crossing system failure accidents
but it's not as high as you would like to make it. I know one is to
many. Your right it's considered part of the equation for big
business. That is just the way things have been since the beginings of
mankind.
I unfortunately had to go to Ohio the past 4 days. What a bunch of
angry people. My sisters boyfriend used that expression when I asked
about what I noticed. Ohio & Michigan for nearly 60 years had the
luxory of those high paying union jobs which are no longer there and
the people are angry. The economy is in the crapper road work that was
being done 11 months ago on my last visit wasn't completed no funds in
the state coffers. So, the people go to their corner bar for cheap
alcohol and vent out their frustrations. Terms like give me a shot of
recession proof Jim Beam which was a half shot. No sympathy from me if
people want to sit on their arses and do nothing. I take it most are
the "99ers" a new political group who collected unemployment for 99
months till they were cut off. I guess that term made them feel better
then saying they were on welfare. Heck the 99ers even protested in Wash
DC for more extended benefits. Different world different generation from
where I came. The cry babies will vent at the current administrations in
DC this mid term elections just to find out neither party really gives a
crap. It's all about big business and those without jobs are just part
of the equation just like crossing accidents.
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Name: NoMo
E-mail:
Employed as: Other, non-employee, for N/A
Posted: 30 August 2010
Hey Dave:
Most of the complaints you hear are about things handled at the Local
an General Committee levels.
Unfortunately, the complaints you read about are pay disputes and
attendance handling. International sits in Cleveland and gets involved
in big political issues like safety...crossing incidents certainly
qualify. They can pound their chest and talk tough but in reality
they're just a mouse that roars.
Over the last two years there have been at least 4 fatalities on the
CSX attributed to Remote Control Operations and there's no telling how
many on the other carriers. Several of these were peg leg jobs.
To date the only thing the UTU has done, as far as I know, is write
letters and tell the membership they will take care of them.
Fatigue was another issue they handled with a new HOS law. Never worked
under it but judging from the posts I've read, No body has
said anything good about it. In fact, it has led to a new attendance
policy which no one likes.
I hope the employees take you up on your offer to help. It's time
the FRA, Union and carriers hands is called on this important safety
issue...especially with the advent of HSR. I would think the employees
have a vested interest and would think about their families...one of
them might be next!
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Name: Dave
E-mail:
Employed as: Other, non-employee, for N/A
Posted: 29 August 2010
NoMo
The UTU attorney I was working with was very sharp and unlike what I
have heard about the UTU, they are very concerned about the welfare of
it's members.
I was late getting to Washington and we had very little time to discuss
issues. Much of the information I needed to hammer the FRA came to me
later. Maybe I can discuss how the FRA is used to point the blame on
train crews in the same manner as drivers at crossing accidents a
little later. I think you'll be amazed as I was.
To answer your question: I did discuss railroads endangering you guys
with the attorney. This may be the reason for the UTU posting the
article on crossing accidents. Let me take a wild shot at it.
The UTU legal department his sort of like any other. In order for them
to act, they must first have complaints or requests from their
membership. The UTU has to account for monies allocated for research,
investigations, etc.. They would have to set up a budget.,
Seems to me, the UTU posted the article saying " Is the membership
having problems, being endangered by signals? If so, file complaints
and we'll act."
I am willing to help in anyway I can IF it's GODS will. I certainly
don't want to get into any more boxing matches with GOD, my arms are
too short. I am 100% positive that the FRA has been corrupted and
serves to investigate and report all railroad accidents and poor safety
as being human error of train crews and drivers. However, as you can
imagine, taking on both railroads and government is no easy task,
especially when government is in the middle of providing billions of
dollars to railroads for High Speed Rail, Not to mention Mid Term
Ellections and a fight for political power. Employees and the public
killed as a result of the FRA and railroad actions are simply a cost of
"doing business." Let me know if I can help, I'll take it as a divine
aproval until proven otherwise by getting my brains beat in.
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Name: KYLE
E-mail:
Employed as: Conductor, for 10-20 years
Posted: 29 August 2010
The rr management has always made bad insights as to rr operations as
that was going on over 20 yrs ago when i hired on, But i must admitt it
has got worse not better in the past 20+ years and i do put a lot of
blame on those morons in the IVORY TOWER as they are the ones who are
putting these kids right out of colledge into the field were they know
not one dam thing about how a rr should operate, Its the SOS if it
works on paper it works in the field and don,t forget when these kids
are in colledge taking up a degree in transportation, They are told
over & over that the union workers are the enemy who will try and put
the screws to the company at any chance they get in order to make more
money for less work with more time off, Seems it gets worse with every
merger too,,Hell i had one new TM right out of colledge and that dummy
did not even know that a engine has angle cocks on both ends and these
are the kinds of people that managment puts out in the field,,YIKES!!!
Then they wonder why on time preformance is so bad today, But they have
the answer for that all the time, Its all the fault of the crews in
every dept.
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Name: slack action
E-mail:
Employed as: M of W, for 10-20 years
Posted: 28 August 2010
RE: love/hate engr..
I do not know what you are talking about T & E being the only ones
being accountable. M of W is accountable for every piece of track.
Dispr are scutinized for every move they make and can be charged for
delaying a train, missing a slow order or crossing protection etc. I
have the FRA breathing down my neck just about every other week...I
think you might want to reconsider that statement...
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Name: Love/Hate
E-mail:
Employed as: Locomotive Engineer, for 30+ years
Posted: 28 August 2010
CSX wants to hold train crews accountable for everthing but mech dept,
signal, track and most of all piss poor managers and train disp are
not held accountable for anything I show up for work with the intention
of safely getting the job done proffesionally and going home. We are no
longer encouraged to make responsible decisions based on years of
experience. We are no longer trusted at all and the important
decisions are left to 20 something children with college degrees in
whatever. They have little to no people skills and no practicle
experience. I have seen so many stupid decisions made and we train
crews are blamed for their bad decisions.
How much more money is csx willing to lose? how many more customers are
going to leave?
Empower your Qualified and experienced employees and let the little
college boys and girls manage fast food joints where they can make
their responsible decisions without costing us BIG busines.
I love my job. untie my hands, tell the worthless children managers to
back away. Hold everyone accountable for their descisions and the lack
thereof and watch us turn this cluster**** of a company into something
special
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