Can someone please explain what this means?

I found this on the utu website. It is a lawsuit, can some one explain what they are suing for. http://www.utu.org/worksite/detail_news ... leID=26580

What I see is....

"the matter of relating the existing service scales (entry rates of pay) in effect on each participating road to training and experience will be addressed"

The UTU, from what I gather, wants the railroads to bargain over service scales and entry level pay.

Most companies like UP start at minimum wage first 2 weeks of training.

BNSF and NS I believe are 500 bucks a week for several weeks.

The "Entry Rates" have nothing to do with minimum wage. It is about the graduated pay-scale in which new-hires start out at 75% of what others are paid. There is an increase of 5% after completing training, then a 5% increase annually after each anniversary of your hire date until you achieve 100%. There is also a 5% increase when you complete engineer school if this happens before you are at full rate of pay.

i am a new hire that is at the 75% does this mean that they are suing to get me at 100%?

Wannertant wrote:i am a new hire that is at the 75% does this mean that they are suing to get me at 100%?

You got that right!.. We had a contract (for a very short time) where everybody came in at 100%, but that expired a few years a go (if I remember right). Now everybody is back to the old system where new hires come in at 75%. We as a union feel that this is totaly unfair treatment, since freight railroads are reporting record earnings.
Having to do the same work as the guy that you are working with and making 25% pay less than him sucks! I remember the days, when I would "double out" (time and one half) in yard service as a helper, and make the same as my foreman who was at straingt rate of pay. That just hurt. Basic switchmans day was $98 in 1998 at 75% rate of pay.

that happens to me in EMS. I can be on overtime making time and half and working with a medic who is making that time and half plus more. EMS is crazy like the railroad. Although a medic does have more training.

Thanks for the info. I hope the union gets its way.

Starting at a percentage of the full rate does suck, but it is very common in many jobs. The thing that really sucks is when you have to hear over and over again how much the CEO of the company gets as a "bonus" on top of his already high salary. For example, look at CSXT's Michael Ward.

one could only hope that the union prevails, and is able to get the entry rates changed!

and the bonuses when they retire. Along with all the stock options they get when they retire.

I hired out on Jan. 16th of 2006 in the Chicago division of BNSF. Our training pay was a base $128 per day and payed 6 days per week. Usually only worked 5 days though. We were paid overtime for over 48 hours per week, and were eligable for certain pay claims i.e. milege, meals and such. This rate is based on 75% of a basic 8 hour yard foremans pay. When released from training, we will be (I'm told) at 80% if we work as brakemen or switchmen, and at 100% if we work as conductors or hostlers. Time and a half after 8 hours in a day.

Let's level the playing field all together between new hires and old-heads and get rid of seniority and stepped vacation, too! It's not fair that the new guys get all the dog assignments and the "older" guys get all the good jobs.

QUITYURBELLYACHIN!

Not always true Cowford....some of the old-heads prefer to take it easy on the road and us younger guys can own yard jobs and locals.

CSX - I'll keep it a secret. If those guys find out you're having too much fun holding a local, they're bound to bid on it!

The UTU was the only Union, that bargained for the "tiered" pay rates, and entry level screwing. The BLE was against it, and was not party to it's signing. How the UTU can be crying for a "giveback" now, is astounding. Everyone knows, once you give it up, you never get it back. There is absolutely no incentive for the carriers to give back what the Union so greedily gave away in the first place. (it did give grandfathered employees a raise, and certain job protections) Isn't this what Brotherhood, and Unionism is all about? All for one, and that one is me....(so to speak) Thanks again, UTU...............

As they say: UTU = U Took Us !