Lokführer
Posted by Lou on Mar 1, 2009
Did I ever mentioned that my younger brother back in Germany is an engineer ? Years after I started with the German Railroad he decided to do the same. Since I was often home, had a lot of days off and plenty of money to spend on gadgets, it seemed to him a good decision. I helped him to find a spot so he joined the Railroad. His career started a little bit different than mine. See, the Job at the German Railroad starts with a 3 year training. During this time you go through all different crafts. You work in the Yard, you are on the Road, some days you are a Dispatcher and some you are a Conductor on Passenger Trains. There are no freight Conductors in Germany. So in his first 3 years he saw a lot – all aspects of the Railroad. Usually you go a few weeks in Class – study the rules and stuff – than you practice the new learned stuff out in the field with an assigned Person. After the 3 years you do a big test and than you decide what you liked most and where are the best chances for you to work. His dream was being an engineer. His first Hub he got assigned to was only 20 minutes from home. Get your Passenger train out of the yard in the morning, make 2 trips and than go home. Once a week he has to bring his train to the roundhouse (which is, btw a real roundhouse) for check ups and maintenance. His paycheck is not as high as here in the States, but it’s OK to make a good living. Regular work is 40 hours a week with 2 days off. Everything over 40 hours will be put into a special account. At the end of the year you can decide to take the hours off (payed) or let the Railroad pay you out for that. Another nice plan, which he choose, put the hours on a life account. That means every hour you earned on that account get’s towards your retirement. The regular way to get retired is to reach 65 years of age to get the full benefits for the retirement. He already figured out that, if he works the same hours he is working now, he will retire at the age of 52 or 53. With full pay until he is 65 and than he is getting the retirement plan. Folks, I am so jealous. And the retirement is not bad, either. You get around 75% of your last pay but with much lower taxes. Health plan is included and does not have to be payed extra. I will talk to my local chairman about those German plans – I am sure I will get a giggle out of him.
Furlough in the State of California (Sacramento)
Posted by Lou on Jan 9, 2009
State of California
Not only Railroaders get furlough. The State of California is in a financial Crisis and is going to furlough. Different to my Railroad, they are furlough only for a few days – will still make money. It’s now hitting everywhere.
Good news from my old Station: In San Luis Obispo (Central Coast California) the Furlough Board was deleted and all members got a job on the Trainmans Extra Board. I am very happy for those folks. Hope it will stay a long time and at last it will get better there. Can this be a little indicator for things going better ? I certainly hope so. My Furlough Board is now ‘down’ from 49 to 43 – what a happiness. How much easier was it with the German Railroad. You got assigned for a Job and you stay on that job forever. If you don’t like the job you could go to your local Human Recource Supervisor (who is NOT several Hundreds of Miles away hiding in the Snow behind Mountains on the Other side of the Country) and talk with them PERSONALLY. Between him/her and you there was always a solution coming up to make BOTH sides happy. In the Rare case you could always depend on your Local Union and TOGETHER we tried to find a solution. The BIG CASE of safty working is to create an envoyment of happiness and fun to work. Happy worker take pride in their work and want to come to work and get back to home. Yes, there were safety rules, but they were created to protect the worker, not the Company.
Today in the Local Newspaper i found this:
Most of California’s general government offices will close the first and third Fridays of each month starting in February.
The first furlough day will be Feb. 6, the Department of Personnel Administration announced in a memorandum Friday.
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The Force
Posted by Lou on Dec 26, 2008
The Force
The Force is not with me. The Force is now my Railroad carrier. It’s going to be on the Dark Site. More and More. As a little Stormtrooper I am I can feel the Dark Site grabbing at me and sending me to the Colonies called “Furlough”. It’s an outpost far away from everything where nobody want’s to be. After a few month on that Planet you are going to loose the feeling for Reality and how it is to work on an Imperial Cruiser. I am not part of the Revolution anymore. The UTU Rebellion is giving me a hand and tries to show me the good Force. Will I be able to resist or is it already to late ? The future will show. Please Mr. Dark Young, don’t show me your Power. Still I am with the Empire…..
Christmas is over – no change
Posted by Lou on Dec 26, 2008
Last week I got called back to the board. What a joy. I was getting ready to work …. charge my Radio, get the Rules updated, pack my backpack.
After 3.5 hours later another call from my carrier. “Can I speak to my Lou ?” My answer was not like always “That’s Me” because I’d know what’s next. Instead I yelled into the Phone “You will not tell me I am bumped. I am furlough over 6 month, 3.5 Hours before you called me back and you are NOT going to tell me I am without work again.”
It got really still on the other side but after a while “I am so sorry Mr. Lou, but you are bumped. Have a nice Christmas !”
The world is mean and heartless ! Now I am bumped again and now I am bumped.
