DUY Wrote:
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> OPRRMS
> Doesn't the collective bargaining agency or the
> union have a supplemental retirement program for
> their members in addition to RR Retirement?
> What other benefits do they provide for their
> members future? Doesn't sound like a good return
> on the dues.

You may be confusing this with the Teamster's Pension Fund. Although the BLET is now a division of the Teamsters, it isn't a party to the pension fund. Of course, anyone can buy some sort of insurance policy on their own.

> Read somewhere on this site about an employee on
> the UP that stayed home and collected his
> earnings. I certainly would not "bad mouth"
> management if I had a job like that.

A provision of the former Southern Pacific Western Lines Collective Bargaining Agreement for Engineers, a modified version of which is still in effect on the former SP seniority districts now operated by UP, contains an Article for the establishment of Engineer Reserve Boards at locations where engineer Extra Boards perviously existed. They're based on a formula related to the number of furloughed trainman at that location (although it's not anything like a "1 for 1" kind of thing). An engineer who bids in a Reserve Board position receives approximately the same pay as an engineer on an 8-hour switch engine. All the regular deductions are taken out of his check, and medical benefits are retained. The engineer must continue to maitain all his required proficienes, and is subject to recall on 7-days notice. Recall requires a 2-day GCOR exam, a return-to-work physical, and a "Super Job Briefing" from a local manager. Just try getting all that scheduled and completed in 7 days!