Agreement Employees

[Gilbert B Norman]

Anyone have knowledge of the crafts on the FEC that are presently covered by Agreement (vernacular; "in the Union').

During the 70's, after management clearly had "won' the crew consist matter and "two men' had become the industry standard, FEC employees were organized by a "local union" named the Federated Employee Council (FEC; get it?). What crafts were represented I know not. However, since then, rail unions that represent employees nationally may have displaced the "Council'. Possibly today rates of pay and working conditions on the FEC are negotiated nationally through the NRLC (the conference).

Nevertheless, enquiring mind wants to know.

[Noel Weaver]

So far as I know, the operating employees are represented by the UTU.
They are not part of the national agreement though and are paid on an
hourly basis. I don't think the UTU is too strong on the FEC and probably
is content to just collect dues from these people. Compared with wages
on a large railroad, I suppose these people are working for less but
compared with wages generally in Florida, I don't think they are doing too
badly. I have been told that they do have the national medical and dental
plans, vacations etc.
One thing in their favor is that the cost of living is less in Florida than in
some other parts of the country. No state income tax for their employees
helps a little bit too.
Noel Weaver

[GOLDEN-ARM]

After the Union was "broken" on the East Coast, there was a loooong period, without any agreement employees, on the property. The UTU did manage a somewhat weak return, in the late 90's, although, in this "right-to-work" state, it's a toothless tiger. They were broken once, and the road didn't miss a beat. Not much of a history, or backbone, to support a renewed union , and it's ability to negotiate for it's members. The TE&Y employees are the only ones covered. The MOW, and the Dispatchers, are non-agreement, as are the MOE men, as well. Regards

[Engineer Spike]

The fact that FL is a right to scab state shouldn' t matter much. Railroads are under the Railway Labor Act. This gives some federal protection. I wonder how many super scabs are left. These are the scumbags who would walk past the picket lines everyday. They probably don't give the organization much participation.

[Freddy]

FEC was a hard-assed bunch of people, even toward their supervisors. Back in the mid 80s I was a signalman in Jacksonville and went with the FRA Signal inspector doing some tests. He mentioned that before he worked for the Fed he'd worked on the FEC and that they'd call up the Roadmaster in St.Augustine on a Friday afternoon and tell him to be in Miami Saturday morning and do a track inspection of the yard. He said they did stuff like that all the time just to dyk with people.