Freddy wrote:I worked for CSX and they were decent to people, but I wasn't in T&E. We always heard the Southern didn't 'Dick-Around' as far as discipline was concerned but here again it was toward
T&E, all other crafts seemed to make out all right.
I'm a "veteran" of Southern (retired NS), and I can vouch for that. It was, indeed, rough in T & E pre-merger. However, in the shop and clerical crafts, it was more lax and one was not likely to get into trouble. We never even thought of getting 'taken out of service' because it rarely happened. You really had to do something BAD to get ground time. When I went into Line of Road clerks in '81 it was a bit more strict. It was the first time I had ever heard of "run off" insurance, and no clerk would be caught without it. Still, I managed to not get taken out of service---not ONCE. Then the Norfolk and F-ed up Western got mixed up in it, and things really went to pot. When I went BACK to the shops, things had changed and we had a bunch of them riled up Yankees down here off NW, and one could get run off if he LOOKED like he might "do something". They were jealous of Southern because of its innovative and 'different" (and very successful way of doing things) and they HATED us employees. They tried to tell us that NW "rescued" the Southern by merging into NS, which was a bald-faced lie!!! If THAT were true, then WHY was Southern's stock HIGHER than NW at merger. I know! I was IN the Southern's very successful stock purchase and investment plan at merger; it had SPLIT several times while I was in it. NW brought it DOWN some, so this idea of their being the "superior" railroad was bull****!
Now, NS is a combo of SR and NW discipline all rolled into one. You're right, Freddy: I LIVED under THAT, too, and served my FIRST run-off under NS after almost 20 years in service without a disciplinary action.
GF