What type of people should the LIRR hire?

My father had 43 years in as a loyal part of the LIRR organization, most of it during the Goodfellow years. Dad was in management, but appreciated his laborers for what they brought to the job. May I offer some statements of what we were raised to believe marked a valuable worker?
-Do your job. You are employed to put in 8 hours of work for eight hours pay. Overtime is not unreasonable, but earn it. Don't expect the Union to cover your ass for minimal performance.
-Bad weather is part of the job you have chosen. Other men and women have to perform in lousy weather. Don't expect them to carry you. Commuters are depending on your performance, as are shippers and other employees.
-You are respected for who you are and what your accomplishments mean. Promotions and salary increases are not a "right of passage", but an earned honor.
-Stand up for what you believe and what is right. Do what you can and speak up if something or somebody is unable to see a future problem. People's live are depending on you, not to mention a great deal of expenditure on time, materials, and labor.
-Don't expect rewards for each and everything you do. Somethings need to be done simply because they need to be done.
-Aside for that, the no-brainers apply. No sexism, racism, or other bigotry should be tolerated. Be polite, helpful, and uplifting when you come to work. Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone deserves a break. ONCE.
I guess that says it from my viewpoint except that I remember many Christmas's when Dad was not home because he had to put in 72 hours straight at the office during a snowstorm. There were many Saturdays when he left home to go in to look at a track cut, a wreck, or to supervise the cleanup of some kid or driver who had crossed the tracks at an inopportune moment. Dad, and the men who responded when they were needed, well, these were railroaders. Sometime the family suffered because of it, and I don't think that was good for us. Dad might have gotten some of his priorities wrong in that respect. Other than that, he was a "company man". Nothing wrong with that.

Richard Glueck wrote:My father had 43 years in as a loyal part of the LIRR organization, most of it during the Goodfellow years. Dad was in management, but appreciated his laborers for what they brought to the job. May I offer some statements of what we were raised to believe marked a valuable worker?
-Do your job. You are employed to put in 8 hours of work for eight hours pay. Overtime is not unreasonable, but earn it. Don't expect the Union to cover your ass for minimal performance.
-Bad weather is part of the job you have chosen. Other men and women have to perform in lousy weather. Don't expect them to carry you. Commuters are depending on your performance, as are shippers and other employees.
-You are respected for who you are and what your accomplishments mean. Promotions and salary increases are not a "right of passage", but an earned honor.
-Stand up for what you believe and what is right. Do what you can and speak up if something or somebody is unable to see a future problem. People's live are depending on you, not to mention a great deal of expenditure on time, materials, and labor.
-Don't expect rewards for each and everything you do. Somethings need to be done simply because they need to be done.
-Aside for that, the no-brainers apply. No sexism, racism, or other bigotry should be tolerated. Be polite, helpful, and uplifting when you come to work. Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone deserves a break. ONCE.
I guess that says it from my viewpoint except that I remember many Christmas's when Dad was not home because he had to put in 72 hours straight at the office during a snowstorm. There were many Saturdays when he left home to go in to look at a track cut, a wreck, or to supervise the cleanup of some kid or driver who had crossed the tracks at an inopportune moment. Dad, and the men who responded when they were needed, well, these were railroaders. Sometime the family suffered because of it, and I don't think that was good for us. Dad might have gotten some of his priorities wrong in that respect. Other than that, he was a "company man". Nothing wrong with that.

Looking at your profile, I'm of the opinion your father did quite well by you. The families of railroaders do often suffer. It's, unfortunately, part of the job.

Beverly,

It's good to see the face of the railroad changing. Just twenty years ago, it consisted of all white males. The talent pool was very limited and the railroad lacked people who would "think outside of the box".
By bringing in college educated minorities, the railroad has greatly expanded its brain power. Now instead of doing what they always did and getting what they always got, there are fresh ideas abounding.
There was a time when crews were completely unsupervised. Now a crew will see ten or twenty supervisors in a day. This has to keep them in line and make them shake in their boots when they see a superintendent get on THEIR train!!! Bet they put their hats on then!!!
Beverly, the railroad needs more young, college educated people of different backgrounds. They think outside of the box and the oldtimers will learn from them and copy them.
I'm white but I realize that times have changed and the railroad is ready for the culture and ideas that other groups who were kept out can bring to it.

Cedarhurst Brock
Certified Railfan
NARP Life Member

Jesus H. Christ! If I hear "thinking outside the box" one more time I'll scream! Oh, silly me! That's part of the "newer, better" generation of railroaders, correct? Give me a break!

the guys and gals on the trains in blue surely can think outside... the white collars that don't know what a dynamic brake is are the lost souls.

badneighbor wrote:the guys and gals on the trains in blue surely can think outside... the white collars that don't know what a dynamic brake is are the lost souls.

Exactly! Possession of a "sheepskin" doesn't guarantee operational knowledge or expertise. Many of these whiz-kids would be hard pressed to tell you which side of the rail the flange is on.

Face the facts. You can teach ANYONE what side of the rail a flange is on in ten seconds. Only by going to college can you learn how to think our problems and solve the railroads real problems, like teaching employees about safety and customer service. Do you have any idea how backwards the LIRR is in both those areas? By hiring educated young women and men from other cultures where humankind has learned to work more safely and deal with their sisters and brothers in a way that doesnt just promot profit the railroad can grow far away from the brutish white male image in which it has become entrenched. I see this happening already. Ive even heard that some of the railroad managers are now producing SAFETY SONGS and VIDEOS. What a breath of fresh air!!! Beverly, college job fairs in the inner city halls of higher education and even in the streets in disadvantaged neighborhoods is the place to find future employees who think outside of the box and wil propel the railroad into the 25th Century!!!! Before you hire another "railroad nut" you should look at the new managers who have made a difference and strive to hire people like them.

Cedarhurst Brock
Certified Railfan
NARP Life Member

last time i looked rails dont have flanges. . but wheels just so happen to.

Now what side the flange goes ON is a different story. .

LIRRNOVA55 wrote:last time i looked rails dont have flanges. . but wheels just so happen to.

Now what side the flange goes ON is a different story. .

The last time I looked, sentences begin with a capitol letter and I is capitalized. Is this yet another example of the "younger, more educated" breed of potential employees?

When posting in this topic, I make sure to go over my posts before I click "post".

Truth...I once reminded a female co-worker to step over the flange ways in side the shop. She asked "Whats a flange way?" asnd I said depends on the thickness and hight.
I guess you had to be there.

And just who supervises the 10 or 20 supervisors employees see daily? Another college educated, never seen a hard day's work, out side the box thinker? Where's Clem when you need him??

So Brock, you feel that hiring rail fans like those that contribute on this forum would not be wise choices? I can see what you mean by needing to "Think outside the box". I was at first convinced that maybe if a person had a passion for railroading then they would be considered for employment. But your statement was so well thought out and to the point. Maybe that is the way to go. Inner-City and college job fairs. That would bring diverse ideas and new thinking to the LIRR. I thought this forum was a place to find people passionate about the LIRR and it is, but it also a hotbed of disgruntled people who seem to think that we as an employer that receives Federal and State funding can discriminate against minorities and women. I will research the idea of job fairs for Inner-City youth. Thank you for your insightful discussion Brock and your assistance.

Beverly, I've never worked on a railroad, or been involved in hiring. But I have worked for government in the emergency services field that requires similar 24/7 staffing and been involved in training. People are hired for my job from a civil-service test, combined with an interview and previous experience. Many of my co-workers complain that the test is not job related. But yet we've found that the highest scorers on the test usually do better on the job, as they are generally smarter people. And the lower scorers who barely pass the test are usually the poorest performers.

So my 2 cents for what it's worth is that you try to hire intelligent people, who also have some of the qualities mentioned above. Like willingness to work hard and some interest in the field of railroading. They should also be oriented to operating in a very systematic environment, where rules and procedures are the norm. The worst people on my job are those who are both lazy and not very bright.

"That would bring diverse ideas and new thinking to the LIRR. I thought this forum was a place to find people passionate about the LIRR and it is, but it also a hotbed of disgruntled people who seem to think that we as an employer that receives Federal and State funding can discriminate against minorities and women. I will research the idea of job fairs for Inner-City youth. Thank you for your insightful discussion Brock and your assistance."
Bev, the fact of the matter is that the best person is not always chosen for the Job anymore. I will not mention any names because I do not want to hurt the feelings of the persons involved, some of whom are my friends.
The fact is, that sometimes (not always) a white male is passed over for a job so that it can be given to a woman or minority. That is a fact and you know it as well as I do.
It is not fair to the person who was passed over.
How about we try something new? Hire the person most qualified for the job, no matter what race or color they are? I doubt very much it will ever be that way because the railroad wants to keep their federal funding by "filling quotas".
I understand why this is done, there was most definetly discrimination in the past, and I understand the concept of "righting past wrongs".
The average middle class white male was not the cause of this past discrimination, but now he has to pay for it.
My Father never ever said a bad word about any race or people, all he was concerned about was paying the rent,and putting food on the table. I suspect thats exactly the way things were in most middle class familys in NY in the 50's and 60's. Now we see qualified people being passed over for promotions in favor of former drug addicts and the like. It is very disheartening