Posts tagged engineers
Engineers frustrated with rails even as others get sick time
May 9, 2023 // Across the industry, CSX has led the way by reaching agreements with most of its unions on sick time. Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific have also announced several sick time deals. Most of these deals provide workers with four days of paid sick time and give them the option to convert three leave days into sick time to give workers a total of seven sick days a year. One of the key remaining concerns for the BLET is that even where the railroads seem willing to give engineers sick time, the railroads generally still want to hold workers accountable for missing work under their strict attendance policies. So even if workers do get sick time, they may not feel free to use it because they would still be penalized for missing work although CSX has said it won’t punish workers for taking sick time.
Public Employee: My union did not represent my interests
May 2, 2023 // “A lot of parole officers are dissatisfied with being a member of PEF,” he said. PEF has not fought to gain access to typical law enforcement benefits for its parole officers. For example, parole officers in PEF do not have the same retirement plan as correction officers or other law enforcement officers, typically called a “twenty-and-out” or “twenty-five-and-out.” Meaning, a law enforcement officer can retire with a full government pension after working twenty or twenty-five years of public service and these plans do not have an age restriction. Meanwhile, parole officers’ retirement plans under PEF require more years of public service and have age restrictions. For example, parole officers either have to work thirty years and retire at age 55 (Tier 4) or work thirty years and retire at age 63 (Tier 6) in order to receive a full retirement pension.
Rail workers warn of exodus after Congress forces through deal
December 8, 2022 // Railroad workers could leave the industry after Congress forced through a contract that does not provide them any paid sick days, an exodus that would ripple through an economy reliant on freight railroads to transport goods. The exit of thousands of train conductors and engineers would be felt by major corporations and U.S. consumers alike. It could slow the delivery of food, fuel and online orders while strangling already-shaky supply chains. Trillium Asset Management,
Worry over rail strike prompts businesses to seek White House intervention
October 28, 2022 // Businesses are increasingly worried about the renewed threat of a railroad strike after two unions rejected their deals, and they want the Biden administration and Congress to be ready to intervene. A coalition of 322 business groups from a variety of industries signed off on a letter to President Joe Biden Thursday urging him to make sure the deals he helped broker last month get approved because a railroad strike would have dire consequences for the economy. All 12 rail unions must approve their agreements to prevent a strike next month.
Supply chain concerns grow as deadline for freight rail strike looms
September 15, 2022 // A pair of unions representing 57,000 conductors and engineers say they are willing to strike over quality-of-life issues if they can’t reach a contract deal with rail carriers.
Biden administration jumps into rail, union talks hoping to avert strike
September 8, 2022 // Such a work stoppage runs the risk of stymieing the U.S.’ supply chain at a point when the system is already strained, prices are historically high, and the peak season for agricultural commodities is just around the corner. Thirteen unions representing U.S. railroad workers have spent years renegotiating their contracts with carriers represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee. SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson, BLET President Dennis Pierce,
As staffing declines, Contra Costa County labor unions push for better contract
June 28, 2022 // Public defenders and district attorneys are usually on opposing sides in the courtroom, but staff members from both departments have marched in lockstep at recent rallies, urging Contra Costa County to recruit and retain more people to lighten their workloads. Nine labor unions that represent more than 6,000 workers, including prosecutors, public defenders, engineers, IT staff and public service workers, among others, have joined forces to argue for better compensation in their next three-year contract — a move that might keep employees from departing for greener pastures. Sean Stalbaum, Contra Costa County, Santa Clara County, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Karen Mitchoff, county Board of Supervisors, Corey Hallman,
Murphy calls NJ Transit union walk-out ‘despicable’ as engineers agree to court order
June 22, 2022 // The union representing NJ Transit locomotive engineers agreed to a temporary ban on anything that can be construed as a work stoppage, according to court documents. The union's agreement — following a holiday weekend in which nearly 500 locomotive engineers called out of work and hundreds of trains were canceled — resulted in a hearing scheduled for Tuesday to be canceled. U.S. District Judge Catherine O'Hearn, NJ Transit,
Carpenters Trade Union Bets Big On America’s Transition To Renewable Energy
May 24, 2022 // At least two major offshore wind developers, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Ørsted, have signed agreements to use union labor for their planned projects. And Atlantic Power Transmission LLC, a Blackstone company vying to build the transmission lines that connect offshore wind farms to the grid, has partnered with EASRCC and other unions and committed to investing $50 million for workforce development in New Jersey.