Another round of BNSF furlough?

[Xponder]

More layoffs in store for the BNSF T&YE or just a continuation??

I have noticed more people coming back in the yard from the road again. ElPaso is starting another Work Retention Board 674.

I guess the economy is going down hill. That probably means that there will be less hiring this year and those stuck on the bottom of the senority will stay there for some time.

Even noticed that seven of the SWE notices that were posted this past month for engineer classes have been cancelled and that was worth some 35 slots!

336..........CANCELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME
335..........CANCELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME
333..........CANCELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME
332..........CANCELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME
331.........CANCELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME
330.........CANCELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME
329.........CNACELLED - CLASS DEFERRED AT THIS TIME

Got a letter Tuesday from one of the FtWorth excutives that apologized for the necessity of furloughs. Explaining that business hasn't been that great and the expected upturn hadn't happened yet.

We are beginning the third month with people on OIFR and Work Retention.

.

[jrb73]

What is your location?? DH is a conductor with the Memphis TN yard and was furloughed 01.09.07. He had to move to a new yard in order to work, as he was furloughed a month and a few days before the retention boards began.

DH also got the letter, funny thing though, it was dated Feb. 16th and he just got it on 03.02.07. Apologized for the furloughs, etc.

I know I am frustrated with this and DH was told that they should start calling back at the beginning or end of March (for the Memphis TN yard anyway).

Hope this ends soon, as this is hard on family life!!

[git a holt to it]

All these terminals furloughing but in denver they had to bring in 15 mercenaries because we're so short handed.

[Komachi]

Mercinaries?

Non regulars (guys from elsewhere on the system) or non-union help?

Just currious on that nomenclature.

[Xponder]

Well, in Belen there are a lot of engineers that have been on the ground since the beginning of January. There seems to be another influx of engineers that can't hold Winslow or Clovis. But, just checking the Clovis retention board, they have all been recalled. There were close to thirty people on that board. Now, there are some thirty jobs availible in Clovis and another twenty in Winslow. But, there are nearly forty-five on the OIFR board in Winslow. Meanwhile, the yard is full up on the Xtra board with a couple bumped out that can't hold anything due to the senior people that have come in lately. The yard isn't all that busy and the Xtra board isn't turning much.

[Hawko]

Got a letter Tuesday from one of the FtWorth excutives that apologized for the necessity of furloughs. Explaining that business hasn't been that great and the expected upturn hadn't happened yet.

We are beginning the third month with people on OIFR and Work Retention.
.

We got the same letter here in La Crosse. There are about 11 conductors & a handful of engineers on their respective Workforce Retention Boards. I am just curious to see how slow our boards would have been turning without all of the snow we have had in the last couple of weeks.

[git a holt to it]

Mercinaries?

Non regulars (guys from elsewhere on the system) or non-union help?

Just currious on that nomenclature.

Barrow outs from other terminals that recieve extra pay for showing up and staying marked up. Usually starts at $500 a week on top of earnings plus $80 a day per deim

[bnsf_girl]

My future husband recieved the same letter, he is training right now in Lafayette. I pray he will be okay after he gets out of training.

[Xponder]

He will probably will be fine. However, the old heads around here have been saying that the company has hired during a furlough before. Those caught up in training during the furlough were unable to markup until after everyone on the OIFR boards were recalled.

So, it is possible to come out of training and be immediatly put on a OIFR board or try to hold at another terminal. It does appear that the road jobs are beginning to pick up so that means that the yard jobs will free up as in Clovis and other places where employees are now being recalled.

[route_rock]

Heres a reason the engineers classes are cancelled. Beardstown was called off last year cause no one from Beardstown was going to get in the class! So the RFE says to hell with that and pulls the class.
Galesburg is one of the few terminals without the 674 board. We are adding to the extra boards and running pretty well here. Have quite a few from Ft Mad here still but some have gone back to the Fort.
The economy takes a correction and everyone assumes its a depression going on. Until they furlough half the NH99 board I wouldnt worry.
The housing market will come back,and industry as well. My wifes company is going gangbusters hauling freight ( shes a local driver) for Deere and other places in a 7 state region. So things are going to pick up.
Also the Combine trains are running again. So Deere is on the upswing after being slow (common this time of year) and demand for all their products is being rated as high.
Give it time, and if you get the chance to go 674 do it and enjoy some you time.

[Xponder]

Ok, I believe now the hard times are beginning to alleviate. Business must be picking up. We are seeing recalls to the primary hire locations from wherever folks ended up during the slow period starting to evolve in the Southwest. Clovis is full up and more jobs are opening up!

Only hope that more conductor classes will be scheduled and more new people come in to elevate my senority a bit. I would like to eventually see the sun during my working hours. Mid-watches are distressing but cooler during the summer.

[resauto]

another classmate had his Clovis class canceled. He said that the email said ALL trainee classes in Clovis were canceld.

[Xponder]

The current Clovis class of seven, that began 01/29, will probably markup at midnight April 21st, provided they all pass their testing.

As far as new classes, perhaps later this summer in June/July/August.

.

[freshmeat]

The class that was posted and canceled for Wellington, Kansas, has just een reposted. Why, I can not tell you.

[cifn2]

Off topic, but I have heard that UP has cancelled the next few conductor/ brakeman classes in the Central Regions, they ahve too many guys and not enough jobs yet, they started hiring early in the year, and guys just are not retiring!