battalion51
Engineer
This is an editorial I worte on my website, that I thought I'd share with you all.
Since that terrible day in September of 2001 Amtrak's ridership system wide has climbed over 10% compared to pre 9/11 levels. Some companies have faced stricter security measures, as well as a decline in business, this is not the case for Amtrak. While Amtrak has faced financial hardships (thanks to a lack of funding from Congress), the company lacks focus as I see it. Amtrak President David Gunn has instituted cost cutting measures, such as eliminating Express service, to help cut expenditures, while at the same time dolling out millions to repaired it's damaged car fllet (I agree on the car repair measure). Meanwhile, due to lighter trains due to the loss of Express service, 30 P-40 Locomotives, at a cost of over $2 million each, have been stored in Wilmington, DE, being unproductive and vandalized. Now, if you have unused equipment, wouldn't it make sense to lease this equipment to power hungry freight railroads, or commuter agencies? Wait that's right, the word sense isn't in Amtrak's vocabulary, I forgot. Other "cost saving" measures have been introduced as well, such as requiring Dining Car stewards to return cooked revenue food (steaks, chicken, etc., not non rev items like mashed potatoes) to crew base, even though these foods will be thrown out anyway. Now, here's the twist to this subject. In June the UTU, the BLE, and Amtrak came to an agreement that Conductor and Engineer meals would no longer cost the Employee $3.50 (that's the amount of money they get for meal allowance), instead you will now pay full price for Dining Car meals, and be reimbursed $3.50 per meal on a $10-$20 tab. Give me a break, those guys are out there busting their butts, often times going above and beyond what they HAVE to do, and you stick them with the bill in return, "Gee thanks a lot guys for all you hard work, now pay full price like the rest of them." As for on board service employees, they continue to get free meals while on duty (for the time being), but they must do so in an odd fashion. A LSA (Lead Service Attendant) may no longer eat in his own car, and only has 2 30 minute breaks per day. So, the lounge attendant has 2 breaks per day, and is working from 6 AM-11 PM, or longer? Great plan guys, that'll really boost revenue. Meanwhile, Coach and Sleeping Car attendants must "eat when they get a chance." Now let's see, if you are working four coaches with 60 people in each car (as Silver Meteor attendants do for part of the trip), non functioning air conditioning units, station stops every 30 minutes, plus the accomodations that must be made for passengers, you will have a very hard time getting any food at all. Now here's a new policy that is reportedly being added to the Service Standards for Coach attendants, if there is a carry by (meaning a passenger got carried by his/her station) the emplyee will be debited the cost of transportation for that passenger back to their original destination. Now never mind the fact that many people who get carried by their stations aren't in their seat, aren't awake, or are somewhere else in the train. It seems like the only way a coach attendant will really be able to keep track of everyone is if all the passengers wear a little sign that has their destination on it, or you keep the lights on all night and don't allow anyone to sleep so that you can make announcemnets. Speaking of debits, here's something genius, on the Dining Car LSA's stock sheet the he/she turns in at the end of the trip, it lists that they are given 25 bottles of water, even though the case has 24 in it. So every trip you will get a debit of $1.75, even though you only ever recieved 24 waters, chalk another one up for management. Speaking of management, I really love those guys, I mean all 84 Vice Presidents due such a fine job, that we need more of them because they are underpaid and over worked. WOW, have I gone mad or what? Get some more employees out there guys, you really have failed to realize that you need at least two coach attendants on every train, and that abusing the hell out of your employees is a really bad idea. For example, I came in on Train 91 a few months ago, and happened to notice the coach attendant who was wiped out because he'd worked two trips back to back. Next day, there he is again working in the lounge because the Miami extra board was spent. Well guess what, you sent an employee to the hospita' because he was sick and needed to have time off, even though he couldn't take it, and as a result you left a train with out a lounge attendant for over four hours because it was going to be that long before the Conductor would allow the Coach attendant to move up to LSA because the coaches had to be worked until at least Orlando by two attendants. So, good job guys, you've done a phenominal job. Now, I'm not suggesting that ALL of the moves that Amtrak makes are bad, just the vast majority stink. So guys, spend $5, buy a clue, and take care of your employees, because I guarantee you, you'll have happier employees, happeir passengers, and therefore a happier bank account.
