Do you know your rights?
Seniority rights: Every position on the railroad has a seniority roster of its own, and works on a "bid and bump system." When I started with Union Pacific in October of 2000, I received my Trackman rights (your starting date is your seniority date as a Trackman). After that, it is up to you to bid on open positions to establish rights on a particular job.

My Friend, "Ritchie"
There are more to railroads than just trains and machinery- it takes people to run the trains and to keep them moving. It's a difficult job and every once in a while, you encounter special people who help make the job just a little more enjoyable.

The End of a Long Winter
After being furloughed for the winter, and working a temp job, I was finally able to bid back on.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Career
October 4, 2000 was my first day in the field. As I mentioned last month, I met the Roadmaster first, then about 45 minutes later the other guys began to filter in. I felt somewhat awkward as anyone would on the first day at a new job, but everyone introduced themselves and made me feel welcome.

The Initiation
Even though I was officially hired by Union Pacific on June 20, 2000, I did not get called to duty until September 29th. I was called by the Director of Training and told to report to the administration building at Proviso Yard on October 2nd, for a two day indoctrination. "Report at 8:00 AM dressed for work!"

In the Beginning
As my first installment to this column I’d like to tell you a little about myself, and how I came to work for the railroad. My name is Scott Clay, and I’m employed by Union Pacific in the Maintenance of Way (MOW) department.