In Need of Some Advice - Amtrak Employment

I have a friend who is a conductor for NJT but wants to switch over to Amtrak. Everyone tells him that it is a bad idea.......but why? The pay is a little less and Amtrak doesn't match your 401k. Is there anyone else who might know why this is such a bad idea? Any info is appreciated.

For sure there are pro's and con's to this possibility of a transfer.
I will look at the con's first:
Certainally the future of Amtrak is in question but I think the northeast
corridor will be around for a long time.
You give up your vacation time and your seniority. If you are fairly young
it should not be too big a deal.
You will start at the bottom for the second time in your career.
Pros:
Probably pleasanter working conditions.
If you stay in the northeast, the corridor is not going to go anywhere.
If you get tired of living in New Jersey, you have an opportunity to go
other places to work and the more seniority you acquire, the more good
choices you will have.
If you really like to travel, you will get plenty of it on Amtrak and not just
in the state of New Jersey.
I think an Amtrak pass offers more opportunity for travel than an NJT pass
will offer.
If you do not have too many years on NJT, I think Amtrak would make a
good choice for you.
I have a good friend who had around 15 years with Conrail/lCSX as an
engineer who hired on with Amtrak as a new employee and he is very
happy that he made the move. Knowing what he had for a job with CSX
and where he now stands with Amtrak, in my opinion, he made an
excellent choice, the right move at the right time.
Noel Weaver

I feel exactly the way you feel on the subject. 2 years, 10 months with NJT and does alot of traveling on Amtrak. Being at the bottom of the roster is no problem and the vacation is no biggie. What's most important is that the pay % will remain what it was prior to leaving NJT (excluding the training period).

Another factor that I overlooked in my previous entry is the fact that if you were to decide to relocate to a different part of the country with
Amtrak, you could very well come out way ahead financially, many areas
of our country do not have as high a cost of living as New Jersey has.
Noel Weaver

A few more points to consider,

4 hour call on NJT versus 2 hour call on Amtrak.

Commuters on NJT versus Passengers/Commuters on Amtrak.

Own bed w/NJT versus hotel bed (sometimes) w/Amtrak.

I can't think of anymore off the top of my head, but if I do I'll post'em. I know Amtrak has a lower starting wage and I believe longer time to get to the top of the wage (don't quote me on that though). Anyhow, I think either is good to work for.

Good luck in helping your friend with their choice.

D

Having worked all classes of service I found that short turnaround commuter service provided the best familly lifestyle. I left that type of service in the early 1980's because I wanted broader horizons, no regrets for my decision just an observation your friend should consider.

I would stay on NJT, unless you are looking to relocate somewhere else in the country. JOB SECURITY is what NJT is all about. Amtrak lost the MBTA bid and now lost another contract in California. Amtrak has been without a contract for over 5 yrs. I believe. At Amtrak you are at the mercy of Congress. If I were in a similar situation and needed to move I would prefer to go to a Class 1 like BNSF or UP. Have your friend talk to a Amtak Conductor at Penn Station and see what they think.

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http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml 10-07-04 I am speaking of the commuter contracts. If you think because they backed away from the contract they did not lose it. If I was a Metro Link employee I would be worrying who my next employer is going to be.

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KarlJ I am only trying to let someone who is currently in a stable work place consider what problems they may confront by switching over to Amtrak. I don't see much expansion at Amtrak in the near future. NJT is currently seeking to expand their service which would give a junior trainmen better oppurtunities.