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Investigation: Metro-North work crews falsified time sheets, ran personal errands
I can’t see where the employees having a union has anything to do with this. The article cites lax oversight by MANAGEMENT, which is not union represented. This kind of stuff also goes on in non-union workplaces, and companies not supported by taxpayers. “When the cat’s away…”
Installing GPS on employee used vehicles is common in many industries. Too bad Metro-North is learning the hard way.
You can get away with this type of workplace atmosphere so long as the “microscope” is not turned on. One never knows when the microscope will rear its head, especially due to someone else or some other department. Always keep your nose clean because that day will always come eventually.
The axe should come first, then PTC and finally GPS, which will probably lead management to some of the best local establishments when all is said and done.
Is any of this dipping a big brush in the hot-tar bucket next to the bag of feathers to associate these findings (scratch that…Accusations) with unions representing train and engine crews…Spitting Devil…we know ya.’
In defense of MOW employees as a group I quote the handy dancers limerick. I don’t blowa the whistle, I don’t klanga da bell, But let the trains jump the tracks, And see who catches hell. MoW workers are on call 24/7. Many have to be away from home substantial parts of the week. Work outside is all kinds if weather. Fine fire the lot, replace with non union minimum wage workers. Then the next time the train jumps the track see who catches hell.
Union?
I wonder: did these workers have their own construct of reality, and ignore the facts of life concerning obligations to their employer?
Meh, sounds like typical Government employees, especially in the Northeast US!!
This will not set well with employees but here goes: Eliminate about 50% of the fancy double cab 4 wheel drive pick up trucks that seem to spend most of the work day cruising the interstate highways or parked at some “nourishment establishment”.
Government employees? These men work for a public-benefit corporation which, by definition, is exempt from many state and local regulations. Privatize the benefits, socialize the costs… blah blah blah….
This is a perfect example of why “self regulation” is insane.
From a recent Trains News wire: “Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) say that only one percent of the tracks in the U.S. are inspected each year by the Federal Railroad Administration, which they say has only 78 track inspectors. The senators did not say that the majority of tracks in the U.S. are inspected by the railroads themselves on a frequent basis.”
So comforting to know that the “railroads themselves” are so focused on this important work. Clearly no additional federal oversight is needed….
“This is a perfect example of why “self regulation” is insane.”
Really? Because if I engaged in any of those behaviors my private-sector butt would be out of a job, without any government involvement what-so-ever. This is a clear example of a government subsidized agency not being subject to the same rules everyone else lives by.
GPS won’t help if leadership is unwilling to enforce work place rules
This type of abuse exists only with the implied permission of top management. If Management knows of this abuse, they should be fired for complicity. If they do not know of this abuse, they should be fired for incompetence.
Even in a union shop, these employees will get fired. On union will notstand up to falsifying papers, inappropiate use of company equipment and running personal errands on company time. That’s gross misconduct.
Where is the news here? This is business as usual. Especially in the larger metropolitan areas in the country. A bunch of government paid lazy and worthless employees protected by their union, which is probably on the dole as well. Then you have management, which answers to nobody, but for all practical purposes knows it is just another batch of government workers with the consequences of being fired landing somewhere between hell freezing over and never happening. Of course, the local governments are probably running away as fast as possible from this mess, never mind they are the ones responsible for setting up this “railroad.” Fire everybody from the top down. Then sell off the equipment to the private sector and let them run it. If the private sector doesn’t want it, guess what? It isn’t worth keeping around.
So Ian Narita, you are saying that these guys have an important job to do and shouldnt be replaced by cheap labour, and because they are so important, they have some form of immunity from punishment? There job is so critical that they cant be sacked for doing wrong?
@MATTHEW
“This is a clear example of a government subsidized agency not being subject to the same rules everyone else lives by.”
Yes, Really. As I said, they need to be subject to outside regulation (turns out “rules” and “regulations” are synonyms - who knew?)
Also, is the New York Times investigating your “private sector butt”? If they aren’t, if the federal / state gov isn’t, and if your bosses won’t, you might be at Starbucks right now….
Time to get an outside, private firm to run the commuter raillines of Metro North.