https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/completely-demoralized-us-railroad-workers-pushed-to-the-brink/ar-AAV1HYp?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

‘Completely demoralized’: US railroad workers pushed to the
brink

American railroad workers are criticizing a new restrictive
attendance policy at one of the largest railroad freight
networks in the US, as they experience grueling schedules
and labor cuts in the midst of new union contract
negotiations, which have hit an impasse, prompting federal
mediation.

The Guardian spoke with several railroad trainmen and
engineers who requested to remain anonymous as they are
prohibited by their employer from speaking to the media.

On 1 February, BNSF Railway, one of the largest railroad
freight networks in North America implemented a new point
system attendance policy, criticized by workers and unions
representing about 17,000 workers, for being more
restrictive, incentivizing going to work fatigued or ill,
and increasing threats of discipline.

One train engineer in the network’s Great Plains Region
claimed they had to push back a medical procedure for a
chronic illness to the summer, when they have vacation time
off scheduled, as they would have used nearly all of their
attendance points required for the time off needed for the
procedure.

“We feel stabbed in the back, completely demoralized with
the work we did through the pandemic, understanding the
situation, going the extra mile, and doing what we’re asked
to do, and then some without complaint,” said the worker.

The new attendance system appears arcane. Workers are
allotted 30 career attendance points and docked several
points for taking any days off, with points varying on the
time of the week and days designated as high-impact days.
Workers can get four points back after working uninterrupted
for 14 days. Previously, workers were allotted five weekdays
off a month and two weekend days off. Workers are
continuously on call and have just over an hour to report to
work when they are called in.

“Fatigue is a chronic issue with almost everyone I know and
work with. We manage it so it doesn’t get too severe,” they
added. “We’ve been struggling through the pandemic with
fatigue, exhaustion, and we have no chance to even catch our
breath.”

Despite the grueling work schedules, workers explained there
is no room for error in the work they do given the important
safety components of their job, such as transporting
hazardous chemicals.

Workers are legally permitted to work a maximum of 12 hours
operating a train, but the worker noted it often takes
several additional hours for relief to arrive and to get to
a hotel or terminal when away from home. While always on
call, the work hours vary widely and often change on a
moment’s notice, making it impossible for workers to adapt
to healthy sleep schedules, having to piece together naps
whenever possible while waiting to be called into work.

Workers say that even though high-impact days, such as
various holidays including Super Bowl Sunday, are designated
as seven attendance points, workers are not paid any
additional pay for working those days.

“You don’t know when they’re calling and they can call you
at any time,” a worker said. “We’re still going through the
pandemic, whether folks like to believe that or not, or
abide by what’s going on or not, even though it’s lessened,
you’re forcing folks to come to work sick because they’re
scared to use points. You’re literally having them pick
between ‘do you go to work sick and ill and not feeling well
or do you save that time to be with your kids and your family?’”

Another worker criticized the attendance policy, arguing it
makes it even more difficult to take time off for medical
appointments or to be able to take time off to spend with
family as railroad workers spent most of their time away
from home, waiting anywhere from 12 to 30 hours in a hotel
room before being called back into work on a return trip to
their home.

“There are 17,600 employees that work with this new
attendance policy, and not one of them will tell you that
it’s a good program at all. It’s completely unmanageable,”
they said.

Workers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers and Trainmen, and the Transportation Division of
the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and
Transportation unions mobilized and pushed for the right to
strike over the new attendance policy, but a federal judge
ruled the dispute was “minor” under the Railway Labor Act,
meaning workers cannot legally strike over the policy.

“This is a policy that, frankly, is just blind to the
moment,” said Greg Regan, president of the transportation
trades department, AFL-CIO, which represents 36 labor unions
in the transportation industry. “They’re turning around and
punishing their employees, because they’re faced with some
of the challenges that they created themselves.”

He argued staffing shortages and supply chain issues have
been self-made in the industry, as drastic labor cuts have
been implemented in recent years, reducing the workforce and
lowering overall costs, while rail transportation companies
have used the supply chain crisis to increase fees and make
record profits.

The attendance policy change was implemented as workers have
continued working through the pandemic via contract
negotiations between 10 unions and over 30 railroad
companies that have been ongoing since fall 2019 amid
widespread labor cuts in the industry since 2017 where over
20% of staff have been cut under a new operating model.

The industry is pushing to reduce two person rail crews, an
engineer and a conductor, to one person crews, which unions
and workers have criticized as a serious safety issue that
will lead to an increase in train derailments, severely
affecting communities around the country.

“What the companies are offering at the bargaining table,
you would think they’re facing declining revenue and
decreasing profits, not recording the highest profit margin
in the history of railroading,” Regan said. “It’s clear that
the industry does not want to give an inch right now, and
they want to continue to claw out as much profit as possible.”

BNSF Railway, owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s
Berkshire Hathaway, reported record profits in 2021, with
operating income increasing 13.7% to $8.8bn.

A spokesperson for BNSF Railway argued the new attendance
policy will provide more predictability for train crews and
provide more reliable crew availability.

“Our program is designed to provide ample time for
obligations outside work, including planned vacations,
personal leave days and unplanned absences while ensuring
that we have sufficient employees available to work,” a
spokesperson said in an email. “Based on initial feedback,
BNSF has already modified the program. We look forward to
continuing to work with our employees to gather input and
refine the program if needed. BNSF team members drive our
success and we couldn’t deliver the nation’s goods without
them. We understand that change can be an adjustment, but we
believe we can adapt together to meet today’s competitive
freight environment.”

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