(The following story by Pamela Scott Johnson appeared on the Williamson Daily News website on April 24, 2009.)
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Thirteen Carmen from Williamson Norfolk Southern railroad yard received notice Thursday morning they will be joining the ranks of the unemployed.
NSC Manager Public Relations Robin C. Chapman told the Daily News the furlough would become effective April 29.
Two of those employees will be taking positions at the Portsmouth, Ohio yard, which is a total five-hour drive there and back.
“That will leave 79 mechanical employees currently working at Williamson Yard,” Chapman said. “I am not aware of any further furloughs planned for Williamson, but circumstances could change. There are no plans to shut the yard down.”
It wasn’t that long ago when Norfolk Southern Railroad was begging for workers. Now, after promises from several experts that West Virginia would be exempt from the economic slump hitting the rest of the country with phrases like “this is not your grandfather’s coal boom,” coal mines are not only laying off workers but closing several. A total of 43 employees have been furloughed from the Williamson NS railroad.
“Furloughs are done by seniority,” Chapman stated in a previous email to WDN. “It starts with the most junior employees and goes up the seniority roster, and employees are recalled by seniority, starting with the most senior.”
Chapman said all furloughed employees have recall rights, however, according to the agreement between Norfolk and Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division, rule 14 (A), “the seniority of any employee whose seniority under an agreement with BRC is established after the date of this agreement (Jan. 1, 2003) and who is furloughed for 365 consecutive days will be terminated if such employee has less than three years of seniority.”
One of the men recently furloughed has worked for the Williamson yard for 18 years. The closet to him was on the job for approximately five years.
Each man accepting a position at the Portsmouth, Ohio yard could possibly loose their seniority at the point they left. Rule 16 states “employees transferred from one point to another, with a view of accepting permanent transfer, will, after 60 days, lose their seniority at the point they left and their seniority at the point to which transferred will begin on date of transfer.”