Today I read in one of the British railway magazines reported that one of the unions that represents employees on the London Underground has negotiated a contract that gives employees 52 vacation days each year (10 weeks!). That seems like an incredible amount of vacation time and I was wondering how much vacation time do North American railroad employees get?
Well, the amount of vacation you receive depends on your seniority, or time with the company. I have one year in, so I received one week of vacation plus three personal days, which I have already used up for FMLA. Family Medical Leave was used for the birth of my son so I could adjust to being a dad and keep my wife from going nuts. As the years go an more vacation is earned. Old head, which have worked for 30 years get 5 weeks and about 11 personal days, so they have about 6 1/2 weeks off??? I wouldn’t know what to do with 10 weeks of vacation. Here in the U.S. we’re suppposed to work ourselves to the bone and then die two days into retirement cause we’re so burned out.
Up here on the CP we get 2 weeks vacation after a year, then you work your way up to 6 weeks vacation as you get more years in.
Some guys will save up their 6 weeks for the end of the year, take them, then they will take their next 6 weeks in the new year… so you end up with 12 weeks in a row.
Only problem is then you have to go a year before you can take your vacation time again.
thats not 100% correct…
here in the US…we are to work ourselves to the bone…and then die 2 days BEFOR retirment as not to collect any RRR so the system can stay solvent for the ones that are on it now…lol
csx engineer
I have read and heard on news programs that a lot of the workers in other countries on average have more vacation days than we do. And it wasn’t just a few days more on average. We are more productive in the USA than most countries, just have to work till we are 110.
Brian (KY)
Interesting. It sounds pretty good. I am curious do you know how long it takes to get to 6 weeks vacation?
Yes, in Europe longer vacations are the rule. I’ve lost track but think the French workweek is now 32 hours and I may also be mistaken but think five weeks is a normal vacation in Germany. Some of our international members can fill in the details. These times are legislated.
Not sure how long it takes to get to 6 weeks, it’s a long way away for me.
At the very least a decade or so.