You can go on the NARP site and probably other places to get a fairly good summary of the PEB’s recomendations, but it is basicly a “how much for how much” situation. This is what I see. Antrak management is not likely to go to the wall just over the union requested wage scale. Already several years back, Dave Gunn had noted that Amtrak wage scales for various trades were less than for those trades in other businesses. For example, he noted that Amtrak had become a training spot for electricians working on power transmission systems who, with sufficient experience, would quit and go to electric utility companies for more money. I think he also noted that transit T&E personnel have wage rates higher than Amtrak.
A key money issue at this point is retroactive pay. I think these are the numbers. Amtrak offered $4,500, but the PEB recommended the union requested $12,500. With 8,000 employees involved that is an extra $64,000,000, which by the PEB recommendation, Amtrak would pay in 2009. Obviously, in Amtrak’s situation, coming up with that chunk of money would be tough. Further, it could also set a pattern for retro pay when Amtrak and the UTU covered train employees finally come to terms. I don’t know how many train employees are covered by the UTU contract, but figure an extra $8 million per thousand employee for that part.
I couldn’t get an exact sense of the impact of the PEB’s recommendation on the cost of fringe benefits. The PEB seemed to go with
Not sure where you got the $4 billion. I checked back on reports and Amtrak offered $4500, but the PEB went close to the unions demand for almost $13,000. The $13,000 would be a one time “sign up” amount and while the unions want payments to be made to any covered employee that worked for Amtrak as far back as 2000, the PEB basicly limited it to current employees. I’ve seen the current headcount of 8,000 covered so the total retro pay would be $104 million. True, that’s not chump change.
That makes two of us. I know I based it off financial type statements I found online and calculations I made in my head, but I can’t seem to find either one right now. I have no problem defering to your numbers.
People use it don’t they? As a member of the public you can count my vote towards paying for Amtrak. The funding can come from any number of things I don’t think the government should be paying for.
I think I saw that the jump in pay scales from the year 2000 end of the last contract to the proposed new level is 35%. There have been some sort of COLA increases so the actual current pay level is not still at the 2000 level. If you got an estimate of the total wages being paid to the covered employees for a year times six years times 35% you probably would come up with a number of about $4 billion. If it came to that amount, I doubt I would have an Amtrak train to ride.
The latest news about the Amtrak labor negotiations (not a strike yet, but a potential strike) is the Presidential Emergency Board has recommended that the workers get the 8 years back pay, and that the imposition of the changes to the work rules should be delayed. The next move is up to Amtrak. Stay tuned.
The issue is not whether unions are good, bad or indifferent, but whether the Amtrak will accept the Presidential Emergency Board’s Recommendations, and if not, will the workers go out on strike.
A national survey a couple of years ago said that 70% of the public favored a national railroad passenger service. Add in the taxpayer contribution to the question? Would $4.33 per person for this year’s grant change many minds?
With the number of Congresscritters who want to kill Amtrak, and with a strike as a perfect excuse to drive a stake through its heart, any labor action against Amtrak would be tantamount to career suicide.
Of course, nobody selects union officials on the basis of their intelligence…
Yeah because a union teacher is so much more smarter than a non union teacher. So what is the “union” title like the performance part sticker some kid stuck on the side of his little 4 banger rice burner thinking the sticker alone add’s 20 horse power? Just being “union” must be like +50 IQ points if thats the case! By the way its spelled Grammar [#dots]
Everyone seems to indicate that work rules are a major (perhaps the major) point of deep division between the parties. However, I have not had a lot of luck obtaining much information on exactly what it is that management is proposing, nor what, if anything, the unions might be willing to accept.
Does anyone want to offer a link or a reasonable summary of each side’s proposals?
I have stated before when i was working i was in 2 rail unions. And the unions had as much corruption as did the carriers. Having said that without unions on the railroads we would have got screwed twice as much as we did.
I pay $1049.00 a year in Union dues and make $85,000 a year sounds like a damn fine trade off to me. Plus I have insurance for me and my family, senority rights and some protection from the bastards I work for.
You said you work security, and are non union good for you, when your bosses son-in-law gets your job you can always drive for one of the rail cab companies I think you would fit in well with them. I believe other Rails on here will know what I mean.
I agree with your theory but you have the other side of the equation. You always have those individuals in the union that would take that step further by saying. “That’s not my Job”. I will say to them, " I thought you get pay by the hour not by the work".[banghead]
I am hired for a specific job. I will NOT do the work of others. You want conductors to go work on the signal system? That would be a riot. The point of having a specific job is that you do what you are trained for.
I am using a quote from Jeaton, “Gunn was on the Amtrak office car on the service track at Chicago Union Station and the potable water tank needed to be filled. Four workers were having a conversion by the car and he asked them to have the tank filled. The four then got into a debate over who’s job it “wasn’t”. Meanwhile, Gunn went over and filled the tank himself.”
Are you trying to tell me that’s not your job? We work for the same company? You have the big bosses in a train? [%-)] Keep in mind I am using as a example…Its not personal toward you…
correct the work to fill watertanks in yards is done by carman/ carman helpers.
so if the car was at a service track and other crafts are standing there it is not their job to do so. A electrician does not fill watertanks, neither does car cleaner or machinist or trackworker or Mechanical supervisor, so unless a carman(helper) were available it is nobody’s job, you get hurt doing a job you were not trained for that same railroad will fire your a**.
And good thing Mr.Gunn did it himself after all we paid him big bucks to do something besides riding around in a office car [oX)]
