In Butte, MT. Interestingly, this position has many of the duties of a switchman/brakeman with some of the car dept duties as well. I don’t know if this is the precursor of one man crews, but it seems possible. Any comment from our BNSF Brothers? Special agreement perhaps?
LC
LC
The job description seems to have skipped the part about sweeping up and where the broom handle goes when that duty is being performed.
Jay
Jay -
Exactly. I’m in no hurry to be by myself in a locomotive cab. Unfortunately, this position seems tailor made for a new underclass of Utility Employee designed to support that type of operation…
LC
LC,
I am guessing that they are figuring maybe three-four days OJT for each area. What the hell! Maybe another week or two, and the person could cover the CEO job too.
Tell you the truth, no one could ever convince me that one man crews would produce the production efficiency that the clowns who advocate that change believe would come about. I am hardly against the use of technology to improve labor productivity, but I think businesses would be financially better off if they got rid of the idiots who can do no more than look at payroll costs and say all that has to be done is abolish a bunch of jobs and the numbers will be just fine.
I was wondering who would be dumb enough to actually want such a job, but appearantly there are a bunch of povery stricken wheat farmers in that area, so who knows?
Jay
I think managements are trying to truly change the industry. I don’t think they are only looking at the short term as most suggest. That is a LOT more frightening in a way. Notice that the Class 1s are coordinating quite well amongst themselves at the effort including RCL and the latest one man crew stuff. It reminds me of the fights over cabooses and the fireman. With fewer larger Class 1s I think the unions had better watch out. Also, with the “W” in office for nearly four more years and a stronger Republican control of the Congress it has a real chance of happening soon.
Also, nobody will admit it, but there is virtually an endless amount of people who will be glad to work for $10 to $12 per hour especially if you throw in medical benefits. I’d imagine you could do fairly well in that area for the over $16 an hour BNSF is offering.
LC
LC
Unfortunately, your prognosis may be right.
I should ask, since you wear the shoes, do you think that 100% of the crew cost savings would get to the bottom line? My guess is that there would be some lonesome pay as part of the deal, but my view goes beyond that to the potential cost in other areas for having only one man on the train. You would have a better sense of what happens when something happens and what would happen when something happens and you are out there by yourself.
And I know that you would stay awake, but what about the others? Electric shock if the eyelids are closed for more than three seconds?
I don’t mean to be too flip about this, and I can think a little outside the box, but the Class I’s aren’t the Indiana Railroad, and some things aren’t that simple.
Jay
Butte is an isolated terminal on the BNSF system. The nearest source of supply of workers if someone in Butte lays off is Great Falls. That’s a deadhead of almost 200 miles one way. Relieving the Butte labor pool could get really expensive. This looks to be a multi-craft extra board. One employee can be trained in many crafts and thus will work almost every day and avoid collecting any estra board guarantee payments.
I do not know what sort of contract the former Montana Western employees who now hold BNSF positions are working under or what their rates of pay are. Yes, I am sure there are a number of people in Butte who will do the work for $10/hr and benefits. I doubt there are any unemployed wheat farmers in the county to apply.
Alan
wow the contract isnt even signed yet…and BNSF is already eliminating the crafts…for an APE job title… little sure of themselfs arent they?
csx engineer
Hmmm, transportation specialist, I’ve heard drug smugglers called that. BN out to tell it like it is …
Randy
Where was the mopping & waxing? [:D]
[quote]
Originally posted by Limitedclear
This cult is way to funny!
I have been wondering how to find the way to funny.
Randy -
As you may recall, back in the early days of RailTex (pre - Rail America) they called their operating guys “Transportation Specialists” too. I believe it was designed to keep them from being categorized as “Conductors” or “Engineers” but able to operate as either across what were stronger craft lines. I’m wondering if BNSF is heading towards a one roster experiement leading into one man crews and utility men.
LC
Must be like the way to San Jose…
LC
I paid so much attention to my locomotive ride-outs that I can tell you more about the black goo in the toilets than the procedures involved in switching and roll-bys. But I have to wonder about time constraints being pushed when picking up and setting out cars, let alone the increased safety issue of two sets of eyes to check out a train when it goes into emergency.
Jay -
No, I don’t think this will happen everywhere overnight. I also don’t think there will be as much of a savings from this crew reduction as some have suggested. Recall that the estimate from one Wall Street Analyst was a savings over all Class 1s totalling over $1Billion annually. I think that cutting the Conductor is getting into the meat and bone of the operation and depending upon a number of factors there will probably be areas where no savings will be realized.
I’m sure it will be implemented in areas where it seems to make sense and work towards getting other areas brought along, much as was done when cabooses were replaced. Years later there are still some cabooses (albeit reconfigured as “Shoving Platforms” to avoid certain arbitraries) on some local jobs.
As I have said earlier on the subject I think that 2 and even 3 man crews will remain the rule in many areas although there will be a more towards 2 and even 1 man RCL crews where circumstances dictate. Although IRR is not a Class 1, on the smaller scale jobs, particularl
Hello welcome to McRailroad can I take your order for you?
Not to assume much as I haven’t worked for the railroad; isn’t it a hard job already without where other hats and performing the extra roles?
Thease are big pieces of machinery and unless you are somekind of super hero, it will just take twice as long to do things if management consolidates too many jobs into one. People don’t like it when managers do micromanaging but what about when workers do megamanaging of jobs? Is that just as bad? Technology has improved alot over the years but it isn’t perfect; there is just that extra push for something to go wrong. Forexample, in the older days, cars used to be easy to tinker around with. Any person with the knowledge of a car could fix it-simple mechanics right? Not now. Cars are now with fancy computer components that require special diagnostic equipment to fix and the training to come with it. Does the railroad really want to go into this direction so soon? Are you (the real railroaders) ready for this?
You’re miles from funny, not to mention miles from being able to read the King’s English.
I’ll rephrase the statement so your joke at least makes sense:
“This cult is on the way to funny!”
There you go J. Have at it!
What kind of time frame are the railroads considering implementing such a consolidation of tasks?