Railroad policy off the tracks

Trains are not an uncommon sight around here. We see them all the time when we’re driving on the highway or trying to cross the tracks. For most people, the trains are a fleeting thought. Just a quick acknowledgment before they move on to a different thought. 

But what they fail to realize in that thought is just how many people are affected by that simple train and the company that owns it. They also don’t realize how big of a mess the railroad industry is in right now.

Tomorrow, members of the two largest railroad unions, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the SMART Transportation Division will go on strike. 

About 40% of the nation’s long-distance trade is moved by rail every year. If the strike happens, it could cost the economy $2 billion a day, a CNBC article published Monday states. About 7,000 long-distance trains would go idle every day and 125,000 rail workers could be affected. 

With costs this high, there must be a good reason for workers to strike. And I can assure you there is.

In February, BNSF launched the new Hi-Viz policy. This policy would give employees 30 points for the rest of their career. Workers would lose anywhere from two to seven points for days taken off, including sick days, other than their allotted vacation days. In order to earn points back, you must work 14 days in a row. However, you can never exceed 30 points. If all 30 points are used, you can be subject to termination. 

 Along with this, the number of engineers in a train went from two to one, increasing the workload of the engineers because of the decreasing number of people entering the field. 

In May, the policy was modified after more than 700 union workers quit. But it still wasn’t good enough. Unions have refused to back down on their demands until they get better quality-of-life provisions, attendance policies and vacation and sick days. 

The issue has only been ongoing because of special procedure. The unions and the railroad have had to go through mediated discussions, with a required 30 day “cool-down” period in between.

The final cool-down period ends on today at midnight.

My dad is a member of the BLET union. He has worked for BNSF for longer than I have been alive. While his job has provided my family with numerous things, it has also required him to burn the candle at both ends. He missed countless recitals, birthdays and holidays because of work. He planned months in advance to ensure that he was there for my sister and I’s graduations. He probably doing the same thing now in preparation for my college graduation. 

But he did it because the 12-hour days where he was always on call, the boring train rides and the barely being home for longer than two days at a time were worth the things he could give his family. 

When I was younger, he used to say that the railroad was a good job for younger people. It allowed you to build up some savings and get a head-start on your future. Now, he would say that the benefits no longer outweigh the cost. 

This policy will only ensure that more parents will miss key moments of their children’s and family’s lives. No one should have to risk their job because they want to take some time off for their family.

If BNSF wants people to come back to work, it’s going to need to give more to its workers. The days of working railroaders to the bone and then asking for more is over. Its time give them their rights back.