CSX union warns of major maintenance workforce cuts
CSX union warns of major maintenance workforce cuts
Robert Fields | WVOW News
LOGAN Railroad workers in West Virginia could potentially feel the impact of nationwide furloughs as CSX moves forward with reductions in its maintenance-of-way workforce.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division - International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents workers responsible for maintaining railroad tracks, bridges and other infrastructure, says CSX plans to permanently eliminate 165 positions and furlough as many as 1,062 workers nationwide.
The union says about 900 of those furloughs involve workers assigned to system gangs that are not expected to return until late February. That's more than the entire CSX workforce in West Virginia, not including the company's subsidiaries. The company operates and maintains over 2,000 miles of track across the Mountain State and has major ties to the state's coal and agriculture industries.
BMWED General Chairman Brian Thompson says the workers include people involved in safety inspections, maintenance and construction. He says the union was notified about the plans in September.
The union has raised concerns about the effect of the cuts on inspections and deferred maintenance. In one example, BMWED says a location could go from 12 workers to four while those four employees would remain responsible for 142 miles of mainline track and several yards.
“The work does not disappear," Thompson said in an article published to the BMWED's website. "The miles still have to be inspected, the defects still have to be repaired and the railroad still has to be maintained. CSX is choosing to do that work with fewer people, and our members should not be forced to carry the burden of that decision.”
The union is concerned the cuts could increase maintenance backlogs and create safety problems.
“You cannot remove hundreds of skilled Maintenance of Way employees from the property, postpone planned work and pretend there will be no consequences,” said BMWED General Chairman Jason Graham. “CSX is creating the conditions for larger maintenance backlogs, greater pressure on the employees who remain and increased risk across the railroad. We are going to document those consequences and make sure CSX is held accountable for the choices it is making.”
The union also points to CSX's financial performance. BMWED says CSX recently reported record quarterly revenue of $3.94 billion, a 17 percent increase in operating income, a 6 percent increase in freight volume and approximately $1 billion in quarterly net earnings.
CSX says it is adjusting its engineering organization to match seasonal work and maintenance needs. CSX says it is communicating directly with employees and labor leaders and is following applicable collective bargaining agreements.
"Our focus on safety is unchanged - required inspections, maintenance and infrastructure renewal work will continue, as will our approved capital program," the company said in a statement to Trains.
The union says some positions could be brought back later, but Thompson remains concerned that some of the furloughs could eventually become permanent. BMWED said it plans to bring these cuts and their safety implications to the Federal Railroad Administration, the Surface Transportation Board and Congress.
PHOTO | MGN
