Re: Working for the proposed hourly rate on BNSF or Upee.
Author: Kenny
Date: 10-01-2017 - 11:17
Dr Zarkoff Wrote:
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> > I don't know what point "Sam Alexander" was
> trying to make in his nonsensical rant but hourly
> is a disaster. I work on a Class II road that has
> a CBA completely separate form the National
> Agreement and is hourly. It basically eliminates
> all the work rules that prevent the carrier from
> abusing you. The carriers want maximum flexibility
> to force you to do whatever they want you to do on
> a whim, which is what an hourly agreement will
> permit. Class I TE&Y employees would be crazy to
> vote for an hourly agreement. If you think your
> quality of life sucks now, wait until all the
> rules that provide at least some predictability
> are gone.
>
> Is Amtrak a class 1? It's TE&Y crews have been
> hourly since about 1985. Having worked under the
> older mileage-based agreements (pre-1985 when
> there was the 100-mile day, scads of arbitraries,
> absolute craft separation -yard crews couldn't
> work road jobs and vice versa- and all that), and
> then finishing my RR career on an hourly based
> wage, all I can say is going hourly doesn't
> necessarily affect other work rules unless the
> Union negotiators agree to the rule changes and
> the proposals are ratified.
>
> You're right on about the "maximum flexibility"
> thing, and sometimes those managers' through
> processes and demands are so erratic and bizarre I
> wonder whether they are tooting crank or smoking
> crack.
Very well put Zarkoff.