CSX new hire furloughed

I wonder if anyone can give me some insight into the situation. Hubby just finished 10 days in Atlanta at Choo-chioo U to become a conductor for the C&O line out of Queensgate, OH for CSX.

Yesterday he comes home and tells me he has been told that after 8 1/2 weeks he will be furloughed!!! Is this normal practice and where does that leave us? We've just spent 4 months on unemployment because he's been locked out of AK Steel now he works for 2 months and back on unemployment again?

I asked him if there were any altenatives and he was told that he had NO choice. Why the heck did we spend $4500 if he was going to end up on unemployment again???

Please help.

TIA

For most new hires the first five years are kinda rocky, he'll see some time layed off, getting bumped around alot. There aint much a guy can do but hang in there, things with a railroad usually get better after the first couple years. Forced to find work else where till he gets back. If he trys hiring out at a place like Wal-Mart to put some food on the table, tell him to say nothing about being employed with CSX. Most places dont like hearing he'll quit with no notice to go back RR-ing. Hang in there, the big pay checks with be there in the future. Good luck

My buddy got cut off for awhile,right before X-mas, Wal-Mart was screaming for people to work. There was an opening for a midnight bike builder, wouldnt take him cuss he was a Union Pacific employee waiting to get called back.

Thank You UPRR-Engineer for your response. I just spoke to a friend that works on the B&O line he advised requesting a transfer to the yard or another line at the end of his otjt. I am praying he will be granted a transfer.

I agree that we must weather the storm for the time being and that we will reap what we have sowed in good time. It just gets so frustrating we have been through a lot this year and its almost hard to believe that we have even made it this far.

Thank You again.

Your welcome, he'll find out what choices he has when it comes time to mark up.

Csx has many places he could go to for six months for an additional amount of money. They will pay for his motel-pay for his mileage up there and back and also give him additional money daily for food. The first person he needs to be talking to is his local chairman with the union. He will be able to help him. Contact me if you need more info.

Coal Hauler is correct. There are many areas in the system where they can't hire enough people, especially up here. Before considering one of the temporary transfers, have your husband find out what his seniority district is. Once he is done his training he has the right to change to another yard or location as long as it is within his seniority district and there is something he can hold. Most seniority Districts are very large. For example, look at the Albany Division on a map. I can bump anywhere from Boston west to Cleveland, Ohio, or go down to Jersey, but who'd wanna do that, lol.

Hey, did you know what the new hires call BNSF?


But
Nobody
Said
Furlough

lol @ JZ

Crew managers or personnel reps are a valuable source of information as well. If they are running short at a particular location, they will wheel and deal to get people to go there. (In unpopular terminals, it is a sellers market!) The up side is they MAY pay for lodging, meals and mileage. A person will usually go out on their rest a lot also. The down side is that these terminals can be a long way from home and in less than scenic locations.

I've worked about 1,000 miles away from home for several months on a couple of occassions and did not take my wife with me either time. This was because it was a strange town where she did not know anyone and I frankly didn't want t listen to her complain about being couped up all day with nothing to do because I was always gone. If your husband is going to have to go away to work, that may be a consideration. he can always mark off a day or to for a visit home or you come to visit him.

Good luck.


B - Better
N - Not
S- Start
F - a Family

U-Under
P-Payed
Heard from a retried UP engineer.

My husband was furloughed from BNSF/Newton, KS beginning of last December 08. Nine months... little beyond stressed awaiting that call back. We applied for assistance through the United Way in the meantime - which was suppose to be a great help - only to find that United Way won't provide assistance for those with a "furloughed" status. Although, in the meantime, we've lost all benefits (401k, insurance, etc.) and losing our home.

This is truly ridiculous. It's like a big black hole, you just don't know how deep it is and when we will get that call back.

Ugh!

It is wrong, and it seems that nearly every industry has been having problems, transportation via rail and the automakers and suppliers were hit the hardest but with this cash for clunkers going well and Ford beating out Toyota in sales in July, we might see more jobs back again.

cifn2 wrote:It is wrong, and it seems that nearly every industry has been having problems, transportation via rail and the automakers and suppliers were hit the hardest but with this cash for clunkers going well and Ford beating out Toyota in sales in July, we might see more jobs back again.

I think your putting to much faith in this "cash for clunkers" band-aid. Even the Big 3 know it's just a temporary solution. They've already stated their not going to be taking off the plyboards from windows of factories shut down or recalling large groups of layed off workers. All this did was move the product that was getting dusty on the lots. Now they'll make new cars most likely at smaller quantites to test the waters. Another goverment buy out that will fail at our expense. The debt just continues to grow beyond imagination. The only ones that win are the top executives they'll cry out it's success and reward themselves with huge bonuses. It's unfortunately become the American way of doing business. I hope I'm wrong.

Couldn't have said it any better.

Unfortunately, the BNSF is well on its way to again furloughing numbers near the high of June 15th, 3094. Vacations are done, kiddies are in school, and the economy is still in the crapper! There may be a few called back due to xtra-boards needing people to satisfy the hunters that go out in the fall. Unless UPS, and other shippers start pushin' more freight and manufactures want more raw materials most of us won't be back 'til May or June of 2010. Unfortunately, some won't come back at all! I along with three thousand others are going to need to bide our time and wait it out. Our time will come and we'll soon be the ones tellin' all the new guys the war stories of how long this furlough lasted as they cringe at the thought.

We're all just slabs of meat to the BNSF. They bring us out of the freezer once in a while, always ready, always availible then stuff us back in the freezer when they're tired of lookin' at us.

There may be one bright spot as many of the old heads may retire this coming year prior to April in order to avoid the predicted problems with their protected brakeman's "kitty" funds. They won't be able to take a lump sum after April but instead, receive a payout over time. And, there will be some that refuse to recertify 'cause the tests aren't open book anymore and are much harder to pass! Then some won't be back 'cause they can't stand the management BS anymore!

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