Rail Crew Drivers: Working Sick and Sick of Waiting

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5977/rail_crew_drivers_working_sick_and_sick_of_waiting/

Friday May 14 9:51 am


Roland Bibb, Cindy Fox and other Renzenberger drivers protested Thursday May 13 in Chicago to demand paid sick days and adequate rest. (Photo by Kari Lydersen)


Recently unionized drivers push for enforcement of mandated rest periods, and pay for on-call time

By Kari Lydersen

CHICAGO—At 59 years old, Roland Bibb never thought he would spend his days waiting by the phone. But that is a big part of life for Bibb and his co-workers at Renzenberger, a company that provides drivers to shuttle railroad crews between trains, hotels and homes.

The Renzenberger drivers are on call 24 hours a day, and must stay close enough to their company vans to be able to pick up a crew at a moment’s notice. That means sitting at home, mowing the lawn or watching TV rather than taking his wife out to dinner or visiting family as he’d like to spend his “free” time.

The drivers are not paid for on-call time. And their actual work day driving crews hundreds of miles could start after nine hours on-call, meaning de facto work days that can stretch to 18 hours and mean drivers are taking to the roads bleary-eyed and exhausted. If drivers say they are too tired for a trip, they will likely be written up and might be fired.

For this they earn wages that come out to barely over minimum wage – 19 cents a mile for long-distance drivers – far below industry trucking standards, or $8 to $9 an hour for time waiting in their vehicle. Yard drivers who work eight-hour shifts and move crews between waiting trains are also paid on average less than $9 an hour.

In ongoing contract negotiations, the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) are demanding pay for on-call time and the enforcement of legally mandated rest periods, among other things.

FULL story at link.