I am wondering how hard this might be. I did quit last year, but ever since then I can’t let it go. I really do want to try it again, (long story). Anyone ever go back after quitting?
Not quit, but fired for insubordination. After 19 years as Engineer. Did try to go back. The railroad agreed to take me back at my old craft ANDmy prior seniority level!!! But my &*$%#@!!! union “brothers” rejected the idea. I feel very betrayed.
Never quit the railroad entirely. I have changed railroads more than once. What made you decide to quit? If you go back will it be to the same railroad? Same craft? I know of a number of folks who have quit and come back in a different craft and liked it better.
LC
Ouch. What happened? Did you go to another RR?
LC
Yes I quit then went back… ten years later, I guess I just do what I feel like doing.
Anybody who stays and complains bore me.
I left the UP due to a supervisor threatening me for not signing off FRA defects when I wasn’t the person who made the repairs and also didn’t even know if they were completed. after about 3mos. of this I resigned on good terms. The shop director was livid that I had left. The foreman is now gone and for some reason the managers and other supes want me to come back. I’m thinking about it
I have been free of being owned by the borg “UP” and I still feel wonderful for having left !
I can’t imagine wanting to return to work for a railroad unless it was a decent sized regional that is more interested in getting the task accomplished and serving the customer. Why would I want to return to burdonsome politics, egos, red tape stiffling beauracracy and never ending demands and unattainable goals with zero reward for performance ?
I know a fellow that worked as an engineer for BC Rail on three different occasions.
He hired on quit, went somewhere else for a while, then came back and quit again and then came back and finally retired with BC Rail.
He’s worked for a whole bunch of railways, including the Rock Island back in it’s days just before it went bankrupt.
I was kinda told that once you quit, you “shut the door”. Is this a typical company policy or manager attitude?
LC-
No. I’ve been doing desk jobs since then, and have gotten way too out of shape to start over as a groundpounder. If I could find a railroad that would hire me as engineer, then I would definitely go back.
Every job has it’s good and bad points. I really like the regualr eight-hour days I have now, but for me, being an Engineer was the coolest job in the world. I just did not want to work seven days per week at 12+ hours per day. Hence my dismissal.
In addition, at the time I was let go, the railroad was looking for ways to get rid of the ‘older seniority’ employees, because our pay , arbitraries, and benefits were so much greater than the new-hires.
That sounds a lot like you were a computer programmer! [:D]
Or a government employee!
Yeah, I would not like to go back to the ground. Too old and a serious case of engineeritis…
LC