OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific is holding back on its promises to make schedules more predictable for train crews to address the quality of life concerns that nearly caused a nationwide rail strike two years ago, according to the union that represents engineers.
The nation’s largest railroad has told the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union that Union Pacific isn’t getting enough work out of its engineers anymore under the new schedules and had to hire more workers than it planned, so the company wants to change the schedule improvement agreement it signed and touted last year.
Where they have been implemented, the new schedules make it possible for engineers to attend doctor’s appointments and keep important promises to show up for their kids’ activities or family gatherings, union members say.
“It’s been a game changer,” said Mark Ganong, who has worked for Union Pacific in Texas for 22 years. “I think it’s improved my quality of life — well, I know it has. I think it’s improved my overall health, my attitude and my ability to schedule things.”
The railroad says it still plans to live up to the schedule agreement it signed, but CEO Jim Vena said Union Pacific needs to tweak the deal that forced it to hire additional engineers to cover the shifts of workers getting regular time off.
Union Pacific profit grows 7% as the railroad continues to get more efficient under CEO Jim Vena
“The amount of work we’re getting — the starts per the 11 days that they’re available — is not anywhere near where both us or the union thought it was going to be,” Vena said. “So we’re just trying to figure out how we can fix or tweak it. But at the end of the day, we’ve committed to people. We signed an 11-and-four deal and we’ll live up to our commitments.”
The basic concept of the new schedule is that after engineers remain available to drive trains for 11 days in a row they get four days off in a row that they can plan on ahead of time. Within those 11 days, there has to be at least one break between shifts because federal rules require 24 hours off after engineers work four straight days, but it’s hard to predict where that time off will fall. The promised four days off are scheduled out for the entire year ahead.
This represents a dramatic shift for engineers who have essentially been on-call 24-7 for years, with only a couple hours notice before reporting to work. In recent years, they also got penalized for missing any time off under a strict points system.
Gaining paid sick days for the first time last year helped make the attendance system more manageable, but not being able to plan on their days off still takes a toll on engineers. Conductors, who belong to a separate union, face similar struggles, and still don’t have any kind of agreement in place to improve their schedules.
One of the initial changes the railroad is trying is that engineers who are coming back from their scheduled time off are now being put at the top of the list for the next train, but that has the consequence of bumping other engineers down and making their lives less predictable.
The BLET union went to court this summer to try to force Union Pacific to comply after it missed the deadline in the schedule agreement, but it hasn’t been able to resolve the dispute and get the new schedules for the roughly 60% of UP engineers who still lack it. They also want to make sure that engineers coming off rest go to the bottom of the call list.
Nathan Rouse said he finally missed so many birthdays, holidays, school events and other “things you can’t get back” that he walked away from the railroad almost three years ago. Rouse said his daughter, now 13, had gotten used to him missing her dance recitals.
“She kind of grew so accustomed to me being gone. It was just kind of like she expected me gone more than home,” Rouse said. He still might have long days at the chemical plant where he works now, but at least he is home each night and knows when he will be off.
Engineer Travis Dye said he also nearly quit the railroad despite having worked for UP in Kansas City, Missouri for nearly two decades before he got the new schedule. He said it seemed like the railroad was finally addressing workers’ concerns after the strike was averted, but now he worries that the issues aren’t getting as much public attention.
“I think they feel like they can get away with it now because it’s not being talked about it anymore,” Dye said.
FAQs
(AP) — Union Pacific is holding back on its promises to make schedules more predictable for train crews to address the quality of life concerns that nearly caused a nationwide rail strike two years ago, according to the union that represents engineers.
What was one of the Union Pacific's worst problems? ›
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific managers undermined the U.S. government's efforts to assess safety at the railroad in the wake of several high-profile derailments across the industry by coaching employees on how to respond and suggesting they might be disciplined, federal regulators say.
What problems did the Union Pacific face when it began production? ›
Labor Shortage
Most of the early workers were Irish immigrants. Railroad work was hard, and management was chaotic, leading to a high attrition rate. The Central Pacific management puzzled over how it could attract and retain a work force up to the enormous task.
What did the Union Pacific have to deal with? ›
While the Union Pacific started their construction in Omaha, Nebraska, and had to deal with the relatively flat Great Plains, the Central Pacific had to carve its way through the challenging terrain of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
What difficulties did the Union Pacific face in building their line? ›
Each company faced unprecedented construction problems—mountains, severe weather, and the hostility of Native Americans.
What was one weakness of the union? ›
Union Disadvantages
Union armies had to establish long supply chains, and Union soldiers had to fight on unfamiliar ground and contend with a hostile civilian population off the battlefield.
How many people died building the Union Pacific Railroad? ›
Answer and Explanation: Original reports for the death toll from building the Transcontinental Railroad state that about 1,200 workers died building it. However, this claim has never been verified from official railroad company reports, so the exact number remains uncertain.
When was the Union Pacific scandal? ›
The Crédit Mobilier scandal (French pronunciation: [kʁedi mɔbilje]) was a two-part fraud conducted from 1864 to 1867 by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Crédit Mobilier of America construction company in the building of the eastern portion of the first transcontinental railroad from the Missouri River to Utah ...
Did the Chinese build the railroads? ›
From 1865-1869, 12,000 Chinese immigrants constructed the western section of the transcontinental railroad – one of the greatest engineering feats in American history.
Who owned the Union Pacific? ›
Averell Harriman, was chairman of the board of Union Pacific from 1932 to 1946. The Union Pacific grew to operate in 13 western states, extending from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles. Since 1969 it has been owned by the Union Pacific Corporation, a holding company.
Crédit Mobilier Scandal, in U.S. history, illegal manipulation of contracts by a construction and finance company associated with the building of the Union Pacific Railroad (1865–69); the incident established Crédit Mobilier of America as a symbol of post-Civil War corruption.
Who controls Union Pacific? ›
Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) is largely controlled by institutional shareholders who own 82% of the company.
What is Union Pacific known for? ›
Starting with the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, surviving the country's multiple economic crises, supporting America's military men and women through conflicts and forging forward to overcome hurricanes, floods and droughts, Union Pacific remains a trusted mainstay on America's landscape.
What challenges did Union Pacific face? ›
Building west from Omaha, there were problems of a different nature. To construct a road, the Union Pacific had to cross land occupied by American Indians. From the Native Americans' perspective, it was imperative to protect their families and homeland against the imminent invasion of a flood of immigrants.
What danger did the Union Pacific laborers face? ›
The Union Pacific laborers faced dangers such as difficult working conditions, Native American attacks, accidents from explosives, and physical exhaustion during the building of the transcontinental railroad.
What hardship did the Central Pacific and Union Pacific workers face? ›
Employing thousands of immigrant workers and facing enormous challenges including harsh weather, massive mountain ranges, and conflicts with Native Americans, each company made its way towards a meeting point that would complete the line.
What were the Union Pacific Railroad challenges? ›
From extreme weather to supply chain congestion, Union Pacific overcame its fair share of challenges, all while successfully executing on a growth strategy that produced record-setting financial results in the second and third quarter.
What dangers did the Union Pacific Laborers face? ›
The Union Pacific laborers faced dangers such as difficult working conditions, Native American attacks, accidents from explosives, and physical exhaustion during the building of the transcontinental railroad.
What was the problem with labor unions? ›
Labor unions charge dues to pay the salaries of union leaders and workers during a strike. And unfortunately, some unions spend union dues on six-figure salaries for leaders and luxurious headquarters. Other drawbacks of labor union membership include less autonomy, workplace tension, and slower advancement.
What were the problems that labor unions were most concerned with? ›
For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired.
