Train engineers deal with Union Pacific will improve schedules and address quality-of-life concerns

[Omaha Steve]

https://apnews.com/article/railroad-contract-engineers-demanding-schedules-union-pacific-e2ffdb4830a313249ca2281de360acca

By Josh Funk yesterday

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Engineers who operate trains for Union Pacific will soon have much more predictable schedules that will allow them to plan when they are going to be off, a change addressing one of the key quality-of-life concerns that pushed the rail industry to the brink of a strike last fall.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad announced a deal with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union Wednesday that will let UP’s roughly 5,600 engineers plan on having four days off in a row after spending 11 days straight on call. Within those 11 days, there will likely be some breaks 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 11-4 work/rest schedule will be life-altering for employees who are used to working on-call 24/7, 365 days a year,” said BLET National President Eddie Hall. “This significant change in scheduling not only will make life better for locomotive engineers and their families, it also should help Union Pacific retain and recruit employees.”

Workers said during the contract talks that demanding schedules, combined with the railroads’ strict attendance policies, were making it difficult, if not impossible, to take any time off, with train crews having the most unpredictable schedules. The engineers and conductors that operate the trains routinely get the worst of it because railroads cannot predict exactly when trains, which run around the clock, will be ready to leave.

FULL story at link above.