LIRR / MNRR : Working Conditions

I've been reading on these boards about how miserable it can be working for a class I RR (Freight, for example; CSX, NS, UP).
few days off, 12 hour days, no ability to make advanced plans, constant calls to come to work, away from home for long periods etc...

i was wondering if anyone knew how this contrasted to the working conditions of the Long Island Rail Road or to Metro-North Rail Road? (Or even Amtrack, in the northeast).
is there a significant difference in the quality of life of employees of the LIRR / MNRR compared to the freight RR's ?

I can only help you with MNRR and Amtrak. Metro Norths extra list is a five day list with 2 consecutive rest days. If you lay in you are paid a guarantee day. LIRR is the same i suspect? Amtrak is a 6 day board and you are guaranteed a 40 hour paycheck if you lay in. This is for Zone 1 & 2 it might be different else where. With commuter service and Amtrak you will be able to sleep in your own bed more often than not. This may be a good or bad thing depending on your home situation. The freight railroads will be tougher because the amount of work that goes on at night. Most new hires will go to the extra list in freight and I am not sure of how many days you are marked up before a rest day if any. A new hire for the commuter service is no picnic either if you are a new hire. You are constantly being bumped (displaced) and you have to find a new assignment if you want to go home with a 40 hour paycheck. If you live on Long Island it would not be an easy commute to Pougkeepsie or New Haven everyday.

Amtrak is 6 days available 24/6 for 40hrs, one gauranteed rest day, that is if CMS isn't bothering you to work your off day. I work on Caltrain, and we are Amtrak employees, so we follow all the usual stuff of other zones of which we are zone 12a.

The nice thing about working on the Caltrain side (I originally started in Oakland) is your home every night in your own bed, may only be for 8-15hrs between assignments if your on a regular job, but it beats the overnight thing that I've done in the past.

I'm fortunate to be holding a regular pool assignment right now, 6 days on, 1 off, 5 days on 2 off and it repeats on itself. When I was on the extra board, there were times when I would work every 8 on the dot, sometimes getting out twice in one day.

Our freight brothers do work alot, no doubt there unless your an old head on some cush local or yard job then you go home everynight. Our schedules aren't nearly as bad as freight, but I have worked several days straight w/o no rest days, just work and go home so I could come right back and do it again.

So far the most I've worked without a rest day was 42 days (by choice), would I do it again? Probably not now that I have a choice being on a regular assignment with regular signup times and rest days. It has to be a lucrative assignment for me to work extra, after you get screwed over on your paycheck your attitude changes on extra work.

Frank