BNSF and potential Blackballing a former employee

Greetings Trainmen,

Here's my question: Back in 2007 a group of us were training to be engineers in Nebraska, we had already passed schooling but now it was OJT. Unfortunately we never finished our training, we had run in's with management and ended up in arbitration for things like blowing the horn to long, to soon or not long enough. Simple things but yet we still had arbitration. To make a long story short, all of us lost our jobs, the arbitrator sided with BNSF.

Lets zoom to right now, January 2017, does anyone think that after all these years, would BNSF blackball me or have things changed enough that my record wouldn't show derogatory actions if there were any recorded? I'm trying to get on with Amtrak now as a Engineer trainee. I already have class1 experience as a switch man/brakeman and conductor from 2 class1 RR's in my past.

So what do ya think folks, would anything bad come up from BNSF when they check on me for employment?

Thanks a bunch and be safe out there.

B

I trained a lot of Locomotive Engineers during my years on the railroad. I've never heard of a trainee or a group of trainees getting canned over excessive or to short of horn blast or any minor violations. As the LE it was my responsibility to show them the correct way. There were times I had to explain things like if the train is moving slow that horn use is still 20 seconds before the crossing not all the way from the whistle post. You stated run in's with management that is a different issue. If you still have the union local chairmen's number or someone still working to get it I'd call to see if they are able to access your records. If not they could call the general committee office which should have records. Whether BNSF would still blackball someone 10 years later on a former employer check that's anyone's guess.

Thanks a bunch. ya I know it sounds incredible but we came from San diego to the North in Alliance and were, well lets just say, unwelcome because of our home base. I know, funny right, North against the South. The RR is the only thing they have to survive on so newbies are not liked. We would have there for approx. 3 years and then gone.

Oh well, will hope that BNSF does not carry a grudge.

I know all about not being welcomed on the railroad. When I hired out in 1977 in Ohio every person I worked with asked how I got a job on the railroad. They didn't like the fact it was being a Veteran. Railroads back then hired a lot of family members. They felt I kept their son, nephew, grandson etc... out of a job. That sentiment stayed till I left. In 1980 I transferred to another state. This time down South. It felt like the Civil War was still going on. Difference was I had around 3 1/2 years experience as a Brakeman. It was proving myself all over again. Turned out my new co-workers were more excepting. Then after 6 months I was offered the chance to go into engine service by my Trainmaster & the Road Foreman. I saw a lot of the same negativity going on with new hires. I just told them it's about the job nothing else. Don't take things personal be the bigger person.