Wondering where your mail/packages are?

[marlin39a]

I live along the BNSF Subdivision, and I monitor their conversation on the scanner, and YouTube webcams, along with posting from Amtrak passengers. The Subdivision to Phoenix, runs off the transcontinental line in Williams, to Phoenix. It’s a single line, with siding’s about 20 miles apart for trains to pass. I have a siding in Abra, 5 miles from me, within view. On Tuesday, 7/19, a train out of Phoenix, pulled onto the siding at 7 AM. The crew was taken by van , but no relief crew was available. The train sat there until Friday, 7/22, until a crew took it away. It was a 5 engine train, with all engines left running. A mile long train, of trailers, filled with mail and FedEx. The railroad’s are near a strike, and it appears imminent.
So, if you wonder where your package is, probably parked in a siding somewhere. BNSF is abandoning trains up on the main line. Employees are walking off and quitting every day.
The media will not report the railroad problems, but watch your expected deliveries.

[marlin39a]

https://imgur.com/a/F2VAlXG

[Nobade]

I'd been reading about this. Supposed to strike on Monday. If they do for very long it will certainly change the lives of most people in this country.

[waksupi]

BNSF (Warren Buffet) has a long term bad relationship with the people who work there.

[Hannibal]

I'd been reading about this. Supposed to strike on Monday. If they do for very long it will certainly change the lives of most people in this country.

If a strike is called it will be suspended in 30 minutes or less by a judge's order. This is a major reason why RR'd labor contracts take so long to settle. The RR'd is well aware that they have no fear of a shut-down due to a strike because an emergency will be declared and the strike will be suspended.

As with every other industry the RR'd is experiencing a labor shortage. Their solution to the problem has been to implement an extremely restrictive absentee policy and force longer hours and severely limit days off. Couple that with the fact that the last raise was in January of 2019 due to the stalled labor agreement and it should come as no surprise that they are loosing employees left and right. The RR'ds know they do not have to worry about a strike because if one is called everyone will be ordered back to work by a court order due to a declared emergency. Hence, the only employees who are sticking around are long term employees who are after the retirement carrot. All the Class 1 railroads negotiate their contracts together so even if one RR'd is turning a large profit it never fails that one or more others are fairing poorly yet all hourly employees of all railroads get the same labor agreement. Contracts are often settled by a Presidential Emergency Board who will take into consideration the financial status of the poor performing RR'ds when making their ruling which benefits the highly profitable RR'd. It is particularly wage depressive for employees who are not working in the operations department which consists of the train crews. There are thousands of other employees who maintain tracks and equipment who do not get many perks and bonuses that operations department employees receive. Raises are also based on a percentage of pay so those who earn less get significantly smaller pay increases.

I realize many here will be unsympathetic since RR'd jobs pay a good wage and have good benefits but it's at a high cost to the personal lives of the employees. I've seen messages in the locomotives that state BNSF = Better Not Start a Family.

Edit to add - just in the shop that I am familiar with several young men have died and the cause of death has not been revealed by the family. I respect their privacy, my point is the number is into 2 digits in less than 18 months. In the 25-40 age group this is without question excessive.

[Hannibal]

BNSF (Warren Buffet) has a long term bad relationship with the people who work there.

Actually Warren and Berkshire - Hathaway have taken a mostly hands-off approach and allowed the RR'd to manage as before their stock purchase. That isn't necessarily a good thing.

[elmacgyver0]

Well, I guess I know where my new Beeman PCP is.