Well I just got the official announcement call this morning that I was furloughed. The bussiness end of all of this is that the recession is here. We now have 20 on the furlough list and have been told that it will be some time before we may see any time at the rail yard.
However, the company has 15 plus cubs that will be furloughed, more in Atlanta, and more in school… You would think that the manpower group would do a better job forcasting how many people to hire…
Being cut off is part of being on the low end of the seniority roster.Its happened to just about all of us. My first yr I was off 6 wks, 2nd yr 8 months, 3rd yr 2 months, then going into yr 4 I was down only 3 wks. BNSF has now been establishing paid reserve boards that one can bid on, and while off your’re paid a gross of $1000. per half and it keeps the insurance going. Of course everyones take home differs but I wish this type reserve board was around 7-8 yrs ago. I could have used it then.
I have been expecting to get laid off for 10 years…I have been one of the lucky ones.
I dont work for a railroad though, I work at Kodak…but it makes no difference where you work, losing your job always sucks… [V]
Kodak has “downsized” 75% in 20 years…from 60,000 employees in Rochester in 1985 to 15,000 today. My wife was one of the 75%…she found a new job, but at half the salary…
3 out of 4 people are gone from the company…its amazing.
Scot
Well, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. (And I am sympathetic to your financial problems, I’ve been there myself.)
http://fleetowner.com/news/topstory/freight_volume_trucking/
As to the forcasting, I’ve done that too. You can not hit it dead on the head. You can do analysis and project trends, but there is no certainty.
The high fuel costs had to eventually hurt - and the collapse in housing (you can not sell a house these days without taking a huge financial hit.) means that they’re building far fewer houses.
Put it all together and it means less freight to move. For railroaders and truckers.
Trucking in particular is feast and famine.
The Feasting is good times, buncha miles and more money than we know what to do with.
Famine is comchecks, firing of the weaker drivers and shifting of the few loads to sustain the best of the fleet until the feast.
Walk into any dispatch office and you can instantly tell if the company is busy or not. A state of controlled chaos and panic against the clock means everyone is making money. Silence and grumbles is not so profitable.
We ruthlessly use savings to fight the famine. So far so good. Otherwise it would have been bankrupcy long ago.
The funny thing about all of this is that the company has continued to hire more conductors. The problem about this is the poor soul that is spending $4,500 for school, $1,500 for expenses after quitting his/her job for a better career is out of this money.
I can now see why Warren Buffett has invested so much money into the railroad. He probably understands just like Mr Loving “Men who loved trains”, even when times are bad, railroads still make mad money.
Hopefully this will be a temporary situation and we will be able to get back to work. Retirement from the Army has definately eased some of the pain. Guess I will go back to college using my GI Bill and get a degree in Homeland Security or Public Managment.
The thing about a furlough is that it means you have a job when business picks up or older heads bail. Obviously the latter part vaires depending on the age demographics of your particular seniority roster, but the longer trend is for steady or increasing employment. And, there is still a large proportion of current employees reaching retirement age in the next few years.
Unfortunately that news doesn’t pay the current bills.
Been there trying to keep groceries on the table on the unemployment comp.
If it helps, you,re not alone. There are only two types of people. Those who have been furloughed, fired, layed off, riffed, or reorganized out of a job; and those who are going to be.
The way life works is if you’ve got the money, you don’t have the time to spend it or if you have the time, you don’t have the money.
I know from personal experience that sudden income loss can be tough. I have always been able to work through things by a combination of trying to cut back on expenses and seeking ways to bring in some extra with side jobs or temporary employment. It helps to look at the positive things in your life and to always keep in mind that you can probably work things out.
All the best.
I am really surprised that not one has yet mentioned the little hiccup at GM [ the recent STRIKE]. When that happens in the the automotive sector; when GM or any of the other automakers experiences a little ‘cold’ the rest of the economy catches something much worse. Even a short interruption in the supply chain can create havoc all up and down the line.[2c]
If you watch carloadings year over year, things have been soft for several months now. Reported elsewhere that CSX has 631 Trainmen furloughed, with nearly that number of Engineers cutback to Conductor. Reportedly the still need people in Chicago though.
they always need people there and in philly… cant keep manpower in those areas for some reason…
csx engineer
I believe the Union that calls the strike pays a little bit for the workers. I dont know much. But those Union workers must strike when called out or they will have trouble. Sometimes a company that gets struck calls in non-union workers for a pittance and there is trouble at teh gates. You dont want to be anywhere near that facility.
Stopping a car factory messes up with JIT across the entire USA and Including Canada as well after only a few hours.
I dont do JIT. Not anymore.
Oh one other thing. It is my understanding that some Union Companys will have no trouble locking the doors, turning off the lights, sending the workers home and getting a new contract somewhere else if there is a problem.
I’m a little surprised that you were furloughed at this time of the year. For those who are familiar with railroad industry, isn’t this the time when the railroad business starts to increase with all the Christmas season traffic? I thought all the toys and clothes and tvs and such are heading to the warehouses in preparation for distribution to the stores.
A lot of product in containers from China is not moving right now because of the vast recalls. FNN is predicting this will be a wonderful Christmas for American toy manufacturers, many of whom have added shifts and employees.
I dont think this will be a good retail season for a vareity of reasons.
This probably isn’t what you want to hear right now, but things could be worse, you could have been fired. Things will pick up and before you know it you’ll be working every 8 hours making plenty of money. Do you qualify for unemployeement yet? believe me it’s not much but it’s something.
Recession? Ummm ok. If it were a recession i would be worried about being cut off.But seeings the Stock Market is still above 13000 and not plumetting and unemployment is still low, how can you say recession?Forget it I already know never mind my asking.
So anyway give it time I was furloughed once it isnt he end of the world. If your BNSF go use your system wide seniority.or borrow out if your UP. Ask about someone can show you how.
Since you said you paid to go to school I will assume you work for csx. Have you looked into a temperary relocation. I know people who have had to do this in your situation. IF you’re in the Georgia-Carolina area try Savannah, at one time they had trouble keeping warm bodies available in that terminal.
Thanks for the response everyone. Just never had to face a LAYOFF before and it is definately a shock to the family. 20 years of Army paycheck…
I understand that attitude and being patient has a lot to do with making through this. There are not too many jobs here now that the guys deployed back to the sandbox for the 3rd time. I could work for Blackwater, but… I’d rather spend time away taking a deadhead to Camden or Chattanooga any day compared to that nut roll.
I will use my GI Bill to go back to school and plug away at my BS in Homeland Security. Hopefully I will get a job as a Special Agent and help with the rail safety issues…
I know how it goes, I have been out of work for 9 months now… Doesn’t matter what the line of work is, it’s tough to not be working…
Hopefully you will be called back soon. Years ago when i was working unemployment was only 25 per day i think. And if i remember you had to work 1 day a month to keep your benefits.