UP asks federal judge to stop 'illegal' strike

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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The Union Pacific Railroad asked a federal judge for a permanent injunction to keep union members from protesting a job change.

The railroad announced in January that it would employ a new rail pick up machine, manufactured by the Loram Company. The new machine will be used to pick up old rail that was no longer needed and to deploy new rail that would replace it.

The new machine uses gantry cranes and UP plans to outsource the operation of the cranes to Loram employees, according to their lease.

Prior to the new lease, the job of replacing and adding rails were performed by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division union with the help of American Railway and Airline Supervisor’s Association Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

The new gantry crane will replace the power car, eliminating the need to move the train and the need for supervisors and engineers. It also eliminates the need to have track force employees to walk atop rail cars to guide the rails during the pick up process, according to the lawsuit.

Under the new lease, according to the lawsuit, UP employees and members of the three unions would no longer be needed to perform the jobs they traditionally performed to replace track.

The cranes have hoists, operated by a union employee, that pull the rail closer to the track. The gantry crane then lifts up the end of the rail and pulls the rail onto cars, the lawsuit said.

Union members will continue to perform welding and rail connecting necessary but the cranes eliminate the need for a power car operator, an engineer and several other track force employees.

In February, UP met with the BMWED representatives. Union officials said their members should operate the cranes as per their collective bargaining agreement.

UP argued the job was not within the scope of the agreement and said the unions most impacted by the change would be ARASA supervisors and BLET members

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Most Contracts have a clause in Contract that specifies that if a railroad buys and operates new machinery the Railroad is obligated to to train the Union Members in operating such machinery, so yes the out sourcing is a strike issue.

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[sigh] Unions…

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don’t start that crap kid. You have no idea what you are talking about. At this acne ridden point in your life, your only job concern is the tough choice between Mc Donald’s or Taco Bell. So do us a favor and save it.

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I’ve seen both sides of the discussion. My father started out on the ground (aka in the union) as a brakeman, became a company official, and ultimately decided to go back to the ground as a brakeman and conductor because he got tired of the b.s. and the stress.

When he was an official, his comments were always about “those money-grubbing unions.” But when he went back to the ground, his tune changed: “They (i.e. management) are just trying to screw us out of _____” (fill in the blank).

I suspect a lot of this is a matter of perspective. But yeah, if UP owns the equipment, and they’re not just farming out the entire operation, the union probably has a good case here.

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great view James! Alot of truth there. The truth is, with RR work, there are so many ways that the company can hose us, we need the unions to level the playing field. You have to remember, this job is a way of life. They can screw with our lives pretty good, if there were nobody to set some guidelines enforced by penalty pay (which is going the way of the dinosaur due to triprates) and other agreements. I can promise anybody, without held away penalty, the company would give a rat’s ^&* if we rotted in the motel or not. Just one example.

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Thats right,
Unions…they guys who brought you weekends!
(and medical insurance, paid vacations, sick leave, you know, the “useless” stuff like that)
Ed

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All of that stuff mentioned by you Ed weren’t given to us by strong men and women and solidarity, it was from the big heart of the companies and their care for workers well being. Get rid of the unions and the companies are sure to take good care of us…yeah right. And the unions in no way raise the prevailing wage of the area they are in either.
Funny how a stupid little post by an inexperienced kid can burn my &%$ so bad. Where is James…? Kinda reminds me of him.

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That is an excellent way of phrasing it!!

Those that have never had to deal with being on-call for year after year have no concept of how it affects every aspect of one’s life.

Sure, the first few years aren’t too bad. Most new hires are young and are able to tolerate the hours better. Eventually, one might want to get together with a life-partner, and that’s when the job’s lack of scheduling and time away from home really begins to lose whatever appeal it once had.

I know of very few rails that are still married, and if they are married, it is most likely not to the one they were with when they started railroading.

The railroads seem to sort of forget to mention that to the prospective employees.

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We have a tough time juggling marriage, baby and house with this job. It can be done, but, there has to be alot of trust and two people who are willing to be creative when it comes to how to make time for each other. My wifey will sometimes meet me at the other end and layover with me. We havn’t done it since we had “princess screams alot,” but, her first roadtrip is coming soon. My wife has always woke up to make my lunch, be it 02:00 or 23:30, and always spares me a goodbye kiss. She has missed making my lunch twice since we have been with each other, not too bad of a record. My daughter always finds time to conjer up a poopie diaper for me before I go to work as well. My two girls (wifey and poopie) are worth losing a little sleep for. I consider myself pretty damm lucky.
O.K. no more mushy crap from me!
Also, thanks Zardoz.