CSX dispatchers to Jacksonville - delays
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:53 am
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonvill ... chers.html
Copying and pasting this article as the above site is full of ads and annoying warnings:
When dispatchers working for CSX Corp. across the country were told in June that their jobs were being relocated to Jacksonville, many of them quickly began to make the move — selling homes, changing their children's schools and uprooting their lives.
Then the company changed the timing of its plans.
The result: some dispatchers have been left homeless, forced to live out of their vehicles and away from their families and spend thousands of dollars on unexpected expenses. They are left wondering what they should do next.
"Through no fault of my own, this is an expense I cannot bear," reads a complaint from an Atlanta dispatcher who said he had paid more than $10,000 in moving expenses. "I can't pay a mortgage in Jax and lease in Atlanta. I have no place to live."
Since CEO Hunter Harrison took over at CSX Corp. (Nasdaq: CSX) in March and began implementing his precision railroading model, the company has made significant changes, including laying off thousands of workers, eliminating nearly 1,000 locomotives from its fleet, closing hump yards where freight cars are switched around, changing the executive team and more.
In June, the Jacksonville-based railroad told about 200 dispatchers scattered across the country that their jobs would be consolidated in Jacksonville. The notice, which the Jacksonville Business Journal has obtained, said the relocation was expected to occur between Aug. 31 and Oct. 15.
Dispatchers in the eight offices outside of Jacksonville — Atlanta, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; Florence, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Albany, New York; and Indianapolis, Indiana — scrambled to sell their homes and move in time for their children to start school in Jacksonville.
Then, in September, CSX changed its plans.
The railroad delayed the Jacksonville transition date for some workers indefinitely, according to a September notice sent by CSX, sparking outcry from dispatchers who had already started moving.
"The carrier has, with little notice, told those working in Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Albany and Indianapolis that despite the June 2 notice, their relocation has been delayed with no new date set," said a letter that Rory Broyles, vice president of the American Train Dispatchers Association, sent to Tim Futch, the manager of labor relations at the railroad.
Hardships abound
Dispatchers individually complained as well, according to a documents obtained by the Business Journal. At least 17 affected dispatchers sent statements about the situation to their union, the American Train Dispatchers Association, which forwarded them to the company.
The list of financial hardships included moving expenses that were not reimbursed, traveling expenses to visit family that had moved to Jacksonville ahead of the dispatchers, fines for breaking leases, money spent preparing homes for sale and rental costs for storage units. Dispatchers also had to cash in their vacation and personal days, since CSX did not afford them any time off to move.
A complaint written by a CSX dispatcher outlining the hardships incurred because of the company's changing timeline.
Enlarge
A complaint written by a CSX dispatcher outlining the hardships incurred because of the company's changing timeline.
" had to take out a 401(k) loan because no funds were provided at this time for the move," reads one complaint.
Some dispatchers had spouses who quit jobs to make the move, while others said they simply could not afford housing in two cities simultaneously.
Others complained of family hardships, like one dispatcher whose daughter aspired to play college softball but missed her high school's tryouts during relocation.
Another complaint reads: "This is my son's senior year, and I did not know whether to leave him here or have him move with me to Jacksonville. Definite date (sic) are imperative!"
Changing plans
In October, CSX sent another notice, this time saying that relocation would begin Jan. 4, 2018, and be wrapped up "as soon as administratively possible."
The company appeared to make a move to help ameliorate the situation, telling at least some dispatchers that it would pay for hotel rooms for a short period of time.
Those hotel stays ran from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1.
"I'm now homeless in the Atlanta area," a dispatcher who has been with CSX for more than a decade told the Business Journal when he moved out of the hotel Nov. 1. "They're expecting us to sleep in vehicles and then come to work."
The dispatchers were later told that they were responsible for the taxes on their hotel payments, a surprise bill that added up to more than $1,000. One Atlanta dispatcher told the Business Journal he has lived out of his vehicle since Nov. 1, thought he still reports to work. CSX offered him a locker for his things but did not give him time off and warned him against staying on CSX property after hours.
The dispatcher said he knew of others in the Atlanta area who were living out of their vehicles temporarily while still reporting to work.
Broyles, the union official, singled this out as a safety concern in an email sent to CSX on Oct. 31.
"We feel that we must address our concerns for the safety of our members with regard to being prepared to work their safety-sensitive positions," his email reads, referring to the predicaments of "at least eight dispatchers" in Atlanta. "Without a place to live and take rest, we have great concern for the safety of those that have are (sic) left homeless and that members will be required to work without proper rest.”
Dispatchers are responsible for "everything that happens in their territory," said the dispatcher, who likened his job to being an air traffic controller for trains. Dispatchers keep an eye on where trains are, where they're going and where track maintenance is being conducted, among other items.
Broyles declined to talk about the documents, which the Business Journal obtained independently, and declined to comment for this story since the union is involved in negotiations with CSX.
CSX spokesperson Rob Doolittle told the Business Journal that when the company announced the consolidation plan in June, it said the transition would use a phased approach that would carry into next year. Doolittle denied that plans have changed, noting that the Florence office moved to Jacksonville in September.
Since Nov. 1, CSX has given a $10,000 loan to certain affected dispatchers, subject to CSX's reimbursement policy. The railroad has also afforded moving days.
Dealing with issues
Harrison, a two-time Railroader of the Year, has faced a series of staff issues since taking over as CEO of CSX in the wake of a proxy fight funded by investment firm Mantle Ridge LP, a fund headed by Paul Hilal, an acolyte of activist investor Bill Ackman.
The now-CEO began his rail career as a teenager working as a carman-oiler at St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, before rising through the ranks. In his time as CEO at both of the Canadian Class I railroads, he was credited with turning bloated, inefficient companies into the most efficient railroads in North America.
Harrison is the pioneer of “precision scheduled railroading,” a system that uses fewer assets like locomotives and adheres to a strict schedule.
“Precision railroading has evolved into an overarching philosophy that fundamentally values performance and stretches beyond the operating department,” according to a white paper on the system produced by Canadian Pacific Railway while Harrison was there. “It is rooted in the simple belief that a customer who pays for timely service should receive timely service.”
At CSX, though, his tenure has been marked by a summer of service disruptions and customer complaints, leading Harrison to admit he overlooked "the people side of the ledger" when making operational changes. Several CSX terminals, including Jacksonville's, have been targeted by union picketers who are protesting health care cuts by all Class I railroads.
Investors, though, still seem happy: The company's stock price, which hit an all-time adjusted high when Harrison's interest in the company became known, reached another record in July — $55.19 — and is now trading at around $49 a share.
As for the dispatchers, the union is still arguing with the company over what is due the workers.
"We continue to be willing to discuss terms with you at any time," the union said in its September letter. "We also expect more than a fiat from you. We are entitled to a reasonable explanation of why some relocations have been delayed, as well as when they will resume."
Copying and pasting this article as the above site is full of ads and annoying warnings:
When dispatchers working for CSX Corp. across the country were told in June that their jobs were being relocated to Jacksonville, many of them quickly began to make the move — selling homes, changing their children's schools and uprooting their lives.
Then the company changed the timing of its plans.
The result: some dispatchers have been left homeless, forced to live out of their vehicles and away from their families and spend thousands of dollars on unexpected expenses. They are left wondering what they should do next.
"Through no fault of my own, this is an expense I cannot bear," reads a complaint from an Atlanta dispatcher who said he had paid more than $10,000 in moving expenses. "I can't pay a mortgage in Jax and lease in Atlanta. I have no place to live."
Since CEO Hunter Harrison took over at CSX Corp. (Nasdaq: CSX) in March and began implementing his precision railroading model, the company has made significant changes, including laying off thousands of workers, eliminating nearly 1,000 locomotives from its fleet, closing hump yards where freight cars are switched around, changing the executive team and more.
In June, the Jacksonville-based railroad told about 200 dispatchers scattered across the country that their jobs would be consolidated in Jacksonville. The notice, which the Jacksonville Business Journal has obtained, said the relocation was expected to occur between Aug. 31 and Oct. 15.
Dispatchers in the eight offices outside of Jacksonville — Atlanta, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; Florence, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Albany, New York; and Indianapolis, Indiana — scrambled to sell their homes and move in time for their children to start school in Jacksonville.
Then, in September, CSX changed its plans.
The railroad delayed the Jacksonville transition date for some workers indefinitely, according to a September notice sent by CSX, sparking outcry from dispatchers who had already started moving.
"The carrier has, with little notice, told those working in Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Albany and Indianapolis that despite the June 2 notice, their relocation has been delayed with no new date set," said a letter that Rory Broyles, vice president of the American Train Dispatchers Association, sent to Tim Futch, the manager of labor relations at the railroad.
Hardships abound
Dispatchers individually complained as well, according to a documents obtained by the Business Journal. At least 17 affected dispatchers sent statements about the situation to their union, the American Train Dispatchers Association, which forwarded them to the company.
The list of financial hardships included moving expenses that were not reimbursed, traveling expenses to visit family that had moved to Jacksonville ahead of the dispatchers, fines for breaking leases, money spent preparing homes for sale and rental costs for storage units. Dispatchers also had to cash in their vacation and personal days, since CSX did not afford them any time off to move.
A complaint written by a CSX dispatcher outlining the hardships incurred because of the company's changing timeline.
Enlarge
A complaint written by a CSX dispatcher outlining the hardships incurred because of the company's changing timeline.
" had to take out a 401(k) loan because no funds were provided at this time for the move," reads one complaint.
Some dispatchers had spouses who quit jobs to make the move, while others said they simply could not afford housing in two cities simultaneously.
Others complained of family hardships, like one dispatcher whose daughter aspired to play college softball but missed her high school's tryouts during relocation.
Another complaint reads: "This is my son's senior year, and I did not know whether to leave him here or have him move with me to Jacksonville. Definite date (sic) are imperative!"
Changing plans
In October, CSX sent another notice, this time saying that relocation would begin Jan. 4, 2018, and be wrapped up "as soon as administratively possible."
The company appeared to make a move to help ameliorate the situation, telling at least some dispatchers that it would pay for hotel rooms for a short period of time.
Those hotel stays ran from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1.
"I'm now homeless in the Atlanta area," a dispatcher who has been with CSX for more than a decade told the Business Journal when he moved out of the hotel Nov. 1. "They're expecting us to sleep in vehicles and then come to work."
The dispatchers were later told that they were responsible for the taxes on their hotel payments, a surprise bill that added up to more than $1,000. One Atlanta dispatcher told the Business Journal he has lived out of his vehicle since Nov. 1, thought he still reports to work. CSX offered him a locker for his things but did not give him time off and warned him against staying on CSX property after hours.
The dispatcher said he knew of others in the Atlanta area who were living out of their vehicles temporarily while still reporting to work.
Broyles, the union official, singled this out as a safety concern in an email sent to CSX on Oct. 31.
"We feel that we must address our concerns for the safety of our members with regard to being prepared to work their safety-sensitive positions," his email reads, referring to the predicaments of "at least eight dispatchers" in Atlanta. "Without a place to live and take rest, we have great concern for the safety of those that have are (sic) left homeless and that members will be required to work without proper rest.”
Dispatchers are responsible for "everything that happens in their territory," said the dispatcher, who likened his job to being an air traffic controller for trains. Dispatchers keep an eye on where trains are, where they're going and where track maintenance is being conducted, among other items.
Broyles declined to talk about the documents, which the Business Journal obtained independently, and declined to comment for this story since the union is involved in negotiations with CSX.
CSX spokesperson Rob Doolittle told the Business Journal that when the company announced the consolidation plan in June, it said the transition would use a phased approach that would carry into next year. Doolittle denied that plans have changed, noting that the Florence office moved to Jacksonville in September.
Since Nov. 1, CSX has given a $10,000 loan to certain affected dispatchers, subject to CSX's reimbursement policy. The railroad has also afforded moving days.
Dealing with issues
Harrison, a two-time Railroader of the Year, has faced a series of staff issues since taking over as CEO of CSX in the wake of a proxy fight funded by investment firm Mantle Ridge LP, a fund headed by Paul Hilal, an acolyte of activist investor Bill Ackman.
The now-CEO began his rail career as a teenager working as a carman-oiler at St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, before rising through the ranks. In his time as CEO at both of the Canadian Class I railroads, he was credited with turning bloated, inefficient companies into the most efficient railroads in North America.
Harrison is the pioneer of “precision scheduled railroading,” a system that uses fewer assets like locomotives and adheres to a strict schedule.
“Precision railroading has evolved into an overarching philosophy that fundamentally values performance and stretches beyond the operating department,” according to a white paper on the system produced by Canadian Pacific Railway while Harrison was there. “It is rooted in the simple belief that a customer who pays for timely service should receive timely service.”
At CSX, though, his tenure has been marked by a summer of service disruptions and customer complaints, leading Harrison to admit he overlooked "the people side of the ledger" when making operational changes. Several CSX terminals, including Jacksonville's, have been targeted by union picketers who are protesting health care cuts by all Class I railroads.
Investors, though, still seem happy: The company's stock price, which hit an all-time adjusted high when Harrison's interest in the company became known, reached another record in July — $55.19 — and is now trading at around $49 a share.
As for the dispatchers, the union is still arguing with the company over what is due the workers.
"We continue to be willing to discuss terms with you at any time," the union said in its September letter. "We also expect more than a fiat from you. We are entitled to a reasonable explanation of why some relocations have been delayed, as well as when they will resume."