Furloughed on UP

I work for UPRR but keep getting furloughed I only have 2 years seniority. Other short line railroad called me to work as brakemen there. They say I have to quit from UP if I want to work there and said there’s lots of work and no layoffs. I don’t know if I should work there or stay at UP.

I can only tell you what *I* would do, OK? I would stay PUT! How do you KNOW that, after quitting a Class I railroad, that the smaller shortline wouldn't experience reductions in business later?
Then what? Unlikely you can come back to UP. Remember: Often, the Class I railroads FEED traffic to these smaller roads! Sometimes the shortline is made up of the VERY trackage that the Class I abandoned.

I know it is tough, but furloughs are PART of earning one's "whiskers" in the industry. There's not ONE of us who traveled the same road 10-20-30 years ago that didn't go thru the same furloughs.
Again, it is up to YOU, but I would stick it out.

What Service Unit are you on? And what terminal?

I’ll probably wait it out. What do you think if I just go to the short line, work there until UP calls back?

I work for the Los Angeles service unite and my home terminal is west Colton California. The short line is Pacific Harbor Line in long beach/Wilmington.

Don't know if you have the oppurtunity but if possible trying and maybe speak with of the TE&Y guys down to maybe get better picture of what PHL is like. I believe they handle a lot of the container business for both UP and BNSF down at the ports of LA and LB I could be wrong though.

imho, i would stick it out with up. you would start at the bottom of that other railroad, and they always paint a better picture. who knows, the guy telling you to quit up could have a son who is below you in seniority and wants you to quit so his son could get one more notch. i honestly wouldn't

I would try and go work for the short line while laid off and let the short line think you quit? I worked at NS and went to work at CSX w/out NS knowing I did so I quit answering calls and marked off sick as of 4 months later I still had my job at NS and was happily working for CSX!!

I would stay with UP, and work for the shortline on the sly. I worked for one of the PHL's sister railroads, and I am pretty sure that the earnings there are way less then what you make at UP, when working

I SCREWED UP wrote: I work for the Los Angeles service unite and my home terminal is west Colton California. The short line is Pacific Harbor Line in long beach/Wilmington.

PHL requires resignation from your current employer before they hire you... Years ago, furloughed folks from UP and BNSF went over to work during slow season and when business picked up, PHL was left stranded, short handed. Anyway, business is very slow even here at the ports....

Original poster, check your PM's.

Hey guys, Still sittin here in bama unemployed, Hows the rest of yalls job searches goin, Mine aint worth a damn.

furloughed here to.

I'll be furloughed the last two weeks in February then cut back to 3-days of work afterwards. I don't even work for a railroad. This seems to be the way things are going these days. I've been sending out resumes all over the place and I am on the Final Screening stage for a conductor position with CSX. Something has to break sooner or later.

John

I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones these days. I have not been furloughed or laid off in my current job as a heating contractor (yet). At the same point I am approaching what I think is the last hurtle in the local commuter rail road hiring process (medical exam).

The same week I received notice for the medical, I received an invitation from the local utility company to take an exam tomorrow.

I guess these are two good fields to get in these days as people will always need to commute and people will always need electric.

truck6018 wrote:I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones these days. I have not been furloughed or laid off in my current job as a heating contractor (yet). At the same point I am approaching what I think is the last hurtle in the local commuter rail road hiring process (medical exam).

The same week I received notice for the medical, I received an invitation from the local utility company to take an exam tomorrow.

I guess these are two good fields to get in these days as people will always need to commute and people will always need electric.

Good luck on which ever route you take. It'll be nice to get into a field that isn't so volatile.

John