(The following article by Patty Brandl was posted on the Fond du Lac Reporter website on July 23.)
FOND DU LAC, Wisc. — The last thing that second-shift railroad workers Curtis Hanson and Chuck Immel expected when they reported to work this week at the North Fond du Lac train yards was news that they no longer had jobs.
But a bulletin that Canadian National (CN) posted Monday abruptly changed the lives of 18 local workers who learned they would be unemployed after today. The two Fond du Lac men said no severance or benefit package has been offered, and rumors are circulating throughout the other shifts that more job cuts could follow.
The atmosphere at the yards is one of fear, Hanson said.
“It’s real bad — they’re scared stiff out there,” he said. “It’s hard to keep a level head and work safe.”
CN spokesperson Karen Phillips on Thursday confirmed the termination of 17 carmen positions and one in management.
“It has to do with the amount of work that’s being done there. There’s not sufficient work to warrant these positions,” she said. “We have not announced any other changes.”
Phillips said the company has made reductions in other yards throughout its system. While she is unaware of additional terminations that might affect the rest of the North Fond du Lac employees, she said the railroad company is constantly evaluating all of its positions for efficiency.
On July 20, CN reported second-quarter income of $326 million, a 34 percent increase, on strong revenue growth.
“I walk in Monday expecting to do my daily job,” said Hanson, a seven-year railroad employee. “Then they posted it on the board. Nobody knew — it was like walking into a brick wall.”
Married with two children, Hanson said he had been planning to buy a new house.
“Now I don’t even know if I can keep the one I got,” he said.
A lot of the second-shift workers are family men, Hanson said, and some are currently building houses.
Immel, with the railroad for 61⁄2 years, was unaware that the company would be cutting jobs. Just three weeks ago, he bought a new truck, he said. Now unemployed, Immel is bitter about the company’s attitude.
“They treat us like dirt,” Immel said. “All they want to do is make their money.”
Raymond Grygel, general chairman of the Transportation-Communications Union, Carmen Division, which represents the North Fond du Lac workers, said he was notified Monday that they would close the second shift.
As more information is made available, the organization will move forward with union protection for the displaced workers, Grygel said.
The North Fond du Lac yards were once part of Wisconsin Central Ltd. In 2001, Canadian National purchased the U.S. company for $1.2 billion. With the purchase, CN representatives said it would be able to offer more revenue growth and improved efficiencies.