(Source: Associated Press, January 26, 2023)
The contract imposed on railroad workers last fall didn’t resolve their quality-of-life issues, but there are indications some Class I railroads are starting to address some of their concerns about demanding schedules that keep many of them on call 24-7 without paid sick time. One early sign of progress includes a Union Pacific pilot program in the Kansas City area that’s testing out a new schedule for engineers that lets them plan on having four days off in a row after working 11 days straight. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s First Vice President Mark Wallace is pressing UP to expand this new scheduling model, or something similar to it, across the railroad. “I’m trying to put pressure on UP to do this sooner rather than later,” Wallace said. And he said having more regular schedules would help railroads recruit the new workers they need to handle all the freight companies want them to deliver.
Full story: Associated Press