LIRR Conductors salary increase

Congratulations to the conductors union. All LIRR trainmen are to receive a salary increase of 35¢ an hour as compensation for using new technology, specifically using smart phones to service tickets and for electronic hours of service implementation. The increase will take effect at the end of February. The conductors union achieved what it has coveted since the early days of railroading-a conductor earning a higher salary than an engineer. And it was done on the LIRR.

Three cheers for Anthony Simon!

HIP HIP HOORAY!
HIP HIP HOORAY!
HIP HIP HOORAY!

I agree with you ADL, three cheers for Anthony! The BLE plays golf and Anthony plays the Railroad. This guy is a machine. Years ago, the LIRR gave a 20% increase to Track Formen for working with "new technology". The BLE asked for the same increase for "technology", i.e., M7's, DE/DM's. The LIRR told them to take a walk. Anthony secured this raise because his people have to use a smartphone and take credit cards for ticket sales. ADL, a smartphone! This is "new technology"? Maybe compared to a ticket punch, but so is an M7 or DM30 compared to an M1 or GP38.

So what happens now BLE? Nothing of course. You wait in the hallway while Anthony gets what he wants. Here's one better ADL. We just began our first class of Engineer Trainees on the LIRR under the new wage progression. You will be happy to hear, that once qualified, these guys and gals will make a lower hourly rate than a Brakeman. The M9's will come with "new technology" and the BLE will get nothing. The Train Service will get a raise because they have to use Smartphone II.

Date: Do you know if the MOU the UTU general chairman signed had any language in it that this would be a one time raise for new technology? At MN, when ACRE (the union representing Trainmen) got a 5% raise one year with the introduction of the TIM's (currently an iPhone 5S with a credit card sled) that no further raises will be afforded when newer technology comes our way. Most recently, the iPhone is the successor from the prior TIM (Intermec) and back in 2014, MN adopted Electronic Hours of Service.

If Mr. Simon avoided such language that this was a "one time only" bone and left the door open for future raises with newer technology, a huge score.

Steamboat willie the MOU reads that this raise is for the specific technology implementation. Mr. Simon and the LIRR left the door open to new tech coming with the M9's. It seems that troubleshooting and door operation will be considered new tech.
Before the engineers start foaming it has been decided that train operation is similar to other equipment and you are not getting any increase. Troubleshooting is nowadays done by trainmen while you sit in the cab. This was told to us by your union, the BLE and we complied. Only one time did your union ask for a tech raise which was mentioned in another post. It was declined because your union never asked for payments for new tech prior to that request. It was researched back to when ASC was first installed and dieselization. All new technology but the BLE never insisted on more money because of it. The UTU-SMART has been proactive all over the country and assisting the railroads with new tech. RCO is one example.
The future is in trainservice not engine service. SMART is just a better union and the BLE people arent that good at golf.

To add to Date's report, A.S. also managed to get the new hours of service built into the trainmen's TIM while the engineers are required to use a computer at whatever terminal they're at...

It's hard to believe that the engineers' union is that bad. How do you compare the skills or responsibilities of both crafts? I guess nobody does.

The BLE union guys must be asleep. Shame on them. Or shame on the guys who elected them.

Glad I don't work there.

Datenail wrote:All LIRR trainmen are to receive a salary increase of 35¢ an hour as compensation for using new technology, specifically using smart phones to service tickets and for electronic hours of service implementation.

So does this mean that in exchange for the raise, they're going to allow the OBTIMs/mobile ticketing plan to move forward?

Amtrak7, yes the mobile ticketing rollout will begin this spring with a tentative expectation of system wide acceptance by years end. A.S. had the company into a checkmate like Datenail said.

Kelly, do you expect the claims with carpel tunnel disability to dwindle with this new technology? I remember a certain member here who swears that was how he lost grip of his dog leash and unfortunately a garbage truck hit Mookie. He said from all the years of using his punch, it took a toll on his grip. God rest Mookie's soul.

Is the LIRR still bitter about the BLE wildcat strike in 1995? Is that why engineers are locked into 10.00 day certification for the past 20 years? It appears to be the same at MTA Metro North where conductors are held in higher regard than engineers for some of the inquiries above.

Slippy, I know the Conductor who Lost his dog. He never said it was from punching tickets, he said it was from repetitive motion, such as pulling car doors open hundreds of times a day, climbing up and down dozens of trains a day, and such. He was Granted his disability, he had spinal stenosis and nerve damage in his neck from a fall at work. The nerve damage in his neck resulted in nerve damage in is hands which resulted in a poor grip.This will eventually lead to surgery as it has for many conductors. He had arthritis in both knees from bouncing around trains for 34 years. He had Carpral tunnel in both wrists. When the disability scandal came along, he was re-evaluated by doctors he was sent to by the RR Retirement Board. The Doctors approved by the RR retirement board found the same results, and approved of his permanent disability. The dog died when he lost his grip, when his dog Mookie decided to chase a squirrel and the dog died in his arms while rushing her to a vet. She was hit by a car not a garbage truck. I see no need to mock others pain and suffering, and grief.
Please keep the personal Lives of others off this forum.

Just my input- lets not get too overboard on the craft differentiance pay scale. It's not worth an argument, no matter how much Datenail posts. Seems to be an engineer wannabe that didn't make it, or an upper management hater.

LIRR 277, you must be referring to another conductor. The one I was referring to was employed by the Long Island Rail Road for 33 years, not 34. He also made it abundantly known for years about his years of service, credentials, and personal life

I am a big dog lover and really felt bad when it passed because of the unfortunate accident. With smart phones looming on the horizon, I wanted K&K's opinion if he feels this may decrease the cases in carpel tunnel disabilities.

Sorry if that struck a chord with you.

Thats uncalled for 452card. i think its pathetic that the LIRR would pay a conductor more than an engineer. I am in management and far from low level and have over three decades under my belt. We rely more on our engineers to show up than we do, our trainservice and I really dont care if you or anyone else on here likes to hear that. What bothers me is the current Smart leaderships willingness to give away its non transportation crafts entitlements to the benefit of its trainservice members. The engineers are struggling to recover from almost a decade of poor leadership and its diminished that union on the railroad to the status of the oilers union. Craft pay differential was a trainmen complaint, not an engineer one.

Slip I remember an obese conductor who constantly complained about his wife, his knees and his dog dying from an accident. He blamed poor train handling on his knee problem and ignored 30+ years of gyros and soda crushing the cartilage in his knees. I dont know if his dog was hit by a car or if he sat on him and killed him.

Datenail wrote: Slip I remember an obese conductor who constantly complained about his wife, his knees and his dog dying from an accident. He blamed poor train handling on his knee problem and ignored 30+ years of gyros and soda crushing the cartilage in his knees. I dont know if his dog was hit by a car or if he sat on him and killed him.

you people really are pathetic.