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  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1584942  by Bob Roberts
 
The past few months have seen a ton of scary press about mandates creating worker shortages. However, I have not heard of any workplace where more than 5% of a workforce quit when the mandate was implemented (in nearly all cases mandates ultimately caused less than 1% to leave the workplace).

I suppose Amtrak may face some worker shortages, but there is very little evidence from the health care systems, police departments and other institutions that have already implemented mandates that suggests it will happen.

Shrug, wait and see I guess.
 #1584961  by eolesen
 
Bob Roberts wrote: Mon Nov 15, 2021 8:53 pm The past few months have seen a ton of scary press about mandates creating worker shortages. However, I have not heard of any workplace where more than 5% of a workforce quit when the mandate was implemented (in nearly all cases mandates ultimately caused less than 1% to leave the workplace).
I can tell you unequivocally that one Fortune 100 employer I'm aware of has seen >5% attrition since mandates first started being discussed by their executive team.

The public "didn't get vaccinated" number that will be communicated may indeed be less than 1%, but what's not being reported is the number of people who requested accommodation and were told they'd be put on unpaid leave until infection rates drop. Then there's the people who have simply retired or found other work. Not everyone in that group left over the mandate, but attrition over the last five months has apparently been running several times above the regular attrition rate. Not several percentage points... but double and triple the regular rate.

Without revealing sources or specifics, it's amounting to >5% attrition in a six month period.

I know a sample size of one isn't necessarily statistically relevant, but to say that attrition > 1% isn't happening anywhere simply isn't true.
 #1585166  by Railjunkie
 
As shared with me today by the UTU local chair, the target is now January 8th I believe. Which coincides with their vaccine mandate.
 #1585168  by eolesen
 
January 4th was the 100+ employees deadline, and it's been stayed by the 5th Circuit. For now, OSHA is prevented from being the enforcer, so it's probably a bit early to be looking for any operational reductions unless Amtrak is seeing people quit.

https://www.littler.com/publication-pre ... on-or-test

As a side issue, TSA's deadline is next Monday (11/22), and there are some concerns on that front with regard to airport screeners.
 #1585176  by rcthompson04
 
Amtrak's mandate is employer imposed and not tied to the government contractor mandate or the large employer mandate, which has been stayed. There is nothing stopping Amtrak from enforcing its own mandate right now.
 #1585193  by electricron
 
And whatever Amtrak's employees union contracts allows.

That's why the Biden administration wanted to use OSHA to enforce it's vaccine mandates, to bypass union contracts because OSHA safety regulations always apply at a minimum.

Rarely do industrialists and unions agree, but here was one instance they did.

I strongly encourage everyone to get their vaccine shots and booster shots as necessary.
But which government has the power to enforce it really depends upon the laws and regulations in effect at that time.
 #1585195  by CSRR573
 
There are a big number of Openings for Engineers and Conductors on the Amtrak website. Mainly outside the North east tho
 #1585225  by west point
 
A quick look at openings leaves IND with openings for both ENG and COND. Other openings seem to show many vacancies on Michigan routes. Other Midwest routes as well. Cal Z venerable DEN and east. Might loose 1 trip on Empire route.

Total postings are Engineers - 13 and Conductors - 19 just for month of November thru Nov 19.

Only 1 OBS same time period. Openings for customer service reps is 16 all in smaller stations but none for previously closed stations.
 #1585259  by Railjunkie
 
Some of this could be refusal of the jab but lest we forget Amtrak laid off a bunch of people and quite a few didn't return. I think in our crew base 6 or 8 conductors never came back. So between the two you could have quite a shortfall.
Work with the UTU local chairman 3 days a week and some of the stories he has told me about the interview process he went through for the last class of nine was unbelievable. Being able to pass a drug test and having the jabs were the two biggest hurdles. One is easily correctable the other not so much, those pesky hair follicles. He said it seemed like most of the people that applied were there to get in the attempt to find work to keep their benefits rolling in.
 #1585261  by eolesen
 
The drug test is killing lots of industries as cannabis legalization spreads, but until Comgress acts it's still a deal breaker for transportation jobs.

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 #1585263  by STrRedWolf
 
Even if Congress legalizes it, FRA and FTA will ban it. From the Wikipedia article (referencing the National Institute on Drug Abuse and reports from Cambridge, Informa Healthcare via two Canadian universities, and University of Washington):
Cannabis has various mental and physical effects, which include euphoria, altered states of mind and sense of time, difficulty concentrating, impaired short-term memory, impaired body movement (balance and fine psychomotor control), relaxation, and an increase in appetite.
In other words, you do not want to be doing anything much at all while on this drug. Until researchers can isolate the benefits from the side effects, a ban of it from safety-sensitive positions (like, you know, train engineers and conductors) is going to be enforced.
 #1585269  by eolesen
 
Cannabis doesn't have any real impairment effects beyond 12-18 hours either.

Congress could fix this if they wanted to, and give directives to FRA, FTA and FAA to cease testing for THC or cannabis.

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